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November 2, 2018Watervliet grad credits Capital Region BOCES New Initiative with Helping him Graduate, Go to College
“Without the Pathways Academy, I wouldn’t have graduated. I wouldn’t be where I am.”
Those are words of Alain Kayembe, a 2018 graduate of the Pathways Academy and Watervliet High School who is now pursuing his passion of video game design at Hudson Valley Community College.
Kayembe was struggling in the traditional high school setting when he was offered the option to enroll in the new Pathways Academy when it launched at Capital Region BOCES during the 2017-18 school year.
Though passionate about gaming, he had a difficult time focusing in class. The Pathways Academy afforded him the one-on-one academic assistance and a new opportunity at life and learning.
“I am going to Hudson Valley Community College now. I am taking Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Java and Algebra and other courses to prepare for a four-year college,” said Kayembe. “I really way to transfer when I am done with my two-year degree to NYU [New York University] to get a four-year degree in video game design.”
“Without Pathways, I never would have passed French 1. Pathways allowed me to graduate and go to college,” Kayembe said.
“In Watervliet, we recognize and believe that all students can learn and thrive given the right learning 
environment,” said Watervliet High School Principal Ryan Groat. “When we met with Capital Region BOCES leaders, we had an opportunity to brainstorm learning styles and approaches that we believed could benefit our students. The Capital Region BOCES Pathways program fits the bill because it offers a non-traditional setting that places an emphasis on individual strengths and hands-on or experiential learning opportunities that, for students like Alain, can unlock the door to success.”
Located on the Albany campus of the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School, the Pathways Academy serves approximately 30 students from a half-dozen school districts.
“The idea is to provide students with an alternative path to graduation. Some of our students may have fallen behind credit wise in high school, others may simply need a different approach to learning,” said Mary Cahill, Capital Region BOCES director of educational support services. “Stories like Alain’s show the value of such an initiative.”
While in the Academy, students in grades 9 through 12 take all of the required classes for graduation, including making up classes they didn’t have success with earlier. At the same time, they learn employability skills, such as how to prepare for a job interview and how to effectively communicate. Classes are offered through live classroom teaching, as well as through online courses with assistance from a Pathways Academy teacher. They also meet with area business leaders and visit various businesses in the region to better understand the region’s workforce.
