Ceremony honors high school seniors
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » James Dexter offered advice to over 275 high school seniors at the F. Donald Myers Education Center completion ceremony Monday night.
The WSWHE BOCES district superintendent told the teenagers who completed the two-year Career and Technical Education program to have integrity as they move on.
“What I’ve learned over the years is all of us make mistakes,” said Dexter. “...But what I found out over the life is it’s not the mistakes that define who we are. It’s how we respond to them.”
The completion and awards ceremony, which took place at the City Center, recognized 281 students across 17 school districts.
John Rieger, president of WSWHE BOCES, told
the teens there will be many opportunities in the future.
“You can be confident that your education here at BOCES has given you a competitive edge, and our hope is that you will continue to challenge yourselves to live up to the standards and expectations set by your industry, your classmates, your family and yourself,” said Rieger.
CTE, a division of the WSWHE BOCES, offers classes in Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Heavy Equipment Maintenance and Operation and more, to high school students who have a passion for a given career.
The student speaker Monday night, Schuylerville High School’s Xavier Jones was the Guidance Award Winner as a HVACR student.
Jones quoted Batman, and thanked teachers and families for their support during his speech.
“We get the chance to give back and make a difference in this world. I am grateful to have met all of these students in my class from so many different schools,” said Jones. “They have grown on me like family, and now it’s time for us to take the skills we learned here to the workforce.”
Dexter, additionally, told the students to set lofty goals and to always work hard.
“There’s no substitute for hard work. A lot of people will get diplomas; a lot of people get credentials. Credentials are great, they will open the door. But how you are successful is how hard you work, who you are as a person and how you treat other people. Stay positive. A lot of people find the negative in the world, Stay positive. Work towards greatness,” said Dexter. “Lastly... Embrace your family and friends, because they are the ones who will be with you through good times and bad.”