The Adult Education Program at Oswego County BOCES hosted a ceremony in late March to honor graduates completing the 730-hour Medical Assisting class.
Director of Adult and Migrant Education, Paul Gugel, served as the emcee for the ceremony, congratulating the graduates on their academic achievement and thanking those in the audience for their support during the students’ time in the program.
“When an adult goes back to school so does his or her family,” Gugel said when he spoke about recognizing the sacrifices that an entire family makes to support a mom, dad, spouse or significant other when he/she returns to the classroom.
Also invited to speak was the BOCES Board of Education President John Shelmidine.
Shelmidine concurred with Gugel’s sentiments and talked about the skills that characterize a person who decides to reenter the classroom as an adult student.
“It requires skill, dedication, and perseverance as well as a high level of courage and determination,” Shelmidine said when he spoke about the students leaving their “safe havens” to grow both personally and professionally.
Shelmidine went on to talk about the importance of the medical profession and the vital role that medical assistants play in a hospital or medical practice and in each patient’s life.
“You are the glue which holds the medical profession together,” he said.
Sharing the stage for the ceremony with Mr. Gugel and Mr. Shelmidine was former OCB Medical Assisting graduate Brandi LeBeau. LeBeau shared her professional journey following graduation and said that the BOCES program gave her a good foundation and opened her eyes to see her full potential. LeBeau works as a Certified Medical Assistant with the Cardiology PC of Syracuse and has returned to school to pursue her RN degree.
Graduates of the Medical Assisting program earning recognition at the ceremony include:
Andrea Ball, Dalores Bowering, Judy Campany, Suezette Dunham, Shaina Eusepi, Barbara Kowanes, Marissa Laun, Pamela Margetin, Grace Paige, Lauren Pepper, Stephanie Razavi, Tara Stoddard, Venus Waters and Tina Winnie.
Special awards were presented during the ceremony including the valedictorian distinction to Judy Campany and salutatorian distinction to Andrea Ball.
In addition, the following students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society: Andrea Ball, Dalores Bowering, Suezette Dunham, Shaina Eusepi, Pamela Margetin, Stephanie Razavi, and Tara Stoddard.
For more information about the Medical Assisting program or other programs offered through the Adult Education Department at Oswego County BOCES, visit www.OswegoBOCES.org or call (315) 963-4256.
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