BOCES Special Education Department Holds Graduation Ceremony

July 20, 2008 Contributor

Submitted Article

MEXICO, NY – Family, friends, staff members and school district administrators gathered recently to honor the graduates from the Oswego County BOCES (OCB) Special Education Department.

Andrew Bauder (Fulton) looks at his family members in the audience and cheers in excitement after he receives his diploma from Fulton Superintendent Bill Lynch, Director of Special Instructional Programs and Pupil Services Kathy O'Brien, and G. Ray Bodley Principal Dennis Dumas. After some travel mishaps and roughly 24 hours without sleep, a few of Bauder’s family members traveling from out-of-state arrived just in time for the start of the ceremony. Baunder’s aunt said, “We did what we had to do to get here. We wouldn’t have missed it.”
Andrew Bauder (Fulton) looks at his family members in the audience and cheers in excitement after he receives his diploma from Fulton Superintendent Bill Lynch, Director of Special Instructional Programs and Pupil Services Kathy O'Brien, and G. Ray Bodley Principal Dennis Dumas. After some travel mishaps and roughly 24 hours without sleep, a few of Bauder’s family members traveling from out-of-state arrived just in time for the start of the ceremony. Baunder’s aunt said, “We did what we had to do to get here. We wouldn’t have missed it.”

The ceremony and reception, held at OCB in Mexico, provided an opportunity to praise and celebrate the students’ achievements.

Director of Human Resources Mark LaFountain welcomed the guests and offered his congratulations to the 11 graduates.

Jim Huber, director of Special Education, followed with a few opening remarks and words of wisdom.

He thanked the students for their commitment to their education and spoke about a ‘troubled’ day he recently had and what he learned from it.

He said, “No matter how bad your day is going, look for a bright spot. There’s always a bright spot hiding somewhere.”

Members of the 2008 graduating class of the Oswego County BOCES Special Education Department are (front row, left to right): Jennifer Pizzuto (Pulaski), Andrew Bauder (Fulton), Chad Rohr (Mexico), Lindsey Labulis (Fulton), and Sean Kavney (Central Square). Back row (left to right): Christopher Cronk (Central Square), Jillian Karpinko (Fulton), Timothy Allen (Hannibal), Dylan Picquet (Phoenix), and John Soukup (Central Square). Absent at time of photo was Damien McRae (Hannibal).
Members of the 2008 graduating class of the Oswego County BOCES Special Education Department are (front row, left to right): Jennifer Pizzuto (Pulaski), Andrew Bauder (Fulton), Chad Rohr (Mexico), Lindsey Labulis (Fulton), and Sean Kavney (Central Square). Back row (left to right): Christopher Cronk (Central Square), Jillian Karpinko (Fulton), Timothy Allen (Hannibal), Dylan Picquet (Phoenix), and John Soukup (Central Square). Absent at time of photo was Damien McRae (Hannibal).

Following the speakers, the graduates had an opportunity to address the audience and talk about their time in the OCB Special Education program.

In an emotional speech by graduate Dylan Picquet from Phoenix, he recognized and thanked a fellow ‘graduate’ special education teacher Lenarda Maniccia.

Picquet asked Maniccia to stand in acknowledgement and said, “This is her last year here at BOCES, she’s graduating, too!”

Following the students’ remarks, a video presentation created by special education teacher Mary Jane Parkinson-McGilvray played for the audience.

For the final portion of the ceremony, school district representatives were introduced and given the opportunity to present each graduate with their diploma.

The 2008 graduates were: Christopher Cronk (Central Square), Sean Kavney (Central Square), John Soukup (Central Square), Andrew Bauder (Fulton), Jillian Karpinko (Fulton), Lindsey Labulis (Fulton), Timothy Allen (Hannibal), Damien McRae (Hannibal), Chad Rohr (Mexico), Dylan Picquet (Phoenix), and Jennifer Pizzuto (Pulaski).

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