On Thursday, June 20th, Adult Graduates turned their tassels across their mortarboard, and their focus to a brighter future as the BOCES Consortium of Continuing Education held its 2024 Adult Graduation Ceremony. The Adult Graduation Ceremony recognizes adult learners who have completed their course of study to earn a recognized high school diploma through two different pathways: the National External Diploma Program, and the High School Equivalency Diploma Program.
39 graduates received their diplomas during the ceremony, while a grand total of 63 graduates stand among the 2024 graduating class for the programs.
The National External Diploma Program is a credentialing program for adults who have acquired skills through life experiences, and can demonstrate those skills through an applied performance assessment system.
The High School Equivalency Diploma Program allows adult learners to receive a high school equivalency certificate from the New York State Education Department after passing examinations in the disciplines of Language Arts Reading, Language Arts Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
Each graduate has their own story and motivation behind this accomplishment, with many overcoming immense personal obstacles to reach their goals. Those stories were on full display during the evening’s graduate keynotes.
James Peters spoke on behalf of the National External Diploma graduates. Peters is originally from Sierra Leone, where he attended school until ninth grade. He was brought to the United States amidst the profound backdrop of civil war in his home country, and put his education on hold to help provide for his family. Today, he is a father of four, a high school graduate, and will be pursuing the BOCES LPN program soon.
Speakers Jon Van Nort and Jaquayia Younes represented the High School Equivalency Diploma graduates. Van Nort detailed the incredible journey of how he turned his own life around from his lowest point, to the high point of receiving his diploma. Like Peters, Younes is only just beginning her journey at BOCES. She is a mother of two and intends to enter the BOCES LPN program.
MOBOCES Board President Richard Engelbrecht provided the evening’s opening and closing remarks.
BCCE is operated through a partnership between Madison-Oneida BOCES and Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES. In addition to BOCES campuses, the programs are delivered through ACCESS sites in Rome, Utica, and Oneida.
Congratulations to our graduates!
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National External Diploma Program Graduates
Hakima Abdi
Melinda Cantu
Edward Cartagena
Jazmonae Carter
Musa Ceesay
Theodore Crawford II
Hector "Bebo" Fajardo‐Diaz
Angel Feliciano
Craig Michael Foote
Audbrey Johnson
Elizabeth Johnson
Amanda Kimball
Amanda Lewin
Nicole Patterson
Moo Eh Paw
James Peters
Khalanie Pritchard
Laura Quinn
Guillermo A. Ramos
Desiree Rice
Shaniquia Ross
Kerri Rucker
Anita Ruffin
Alejandra Sequeira
High School Equivalency Diploma Graduates
Angok Achvil
Richard Andrewski
Mckenzie Aldridge
Aiden Alsheimer
Lenzel Atkins
Angel Brown
Lisa Bundonis
Neylah Butler
Freia Casselman
Antonio Clapps
Diego Concepcion
Zachary Craig
Grace Deno
Maria Drake
Owen Fall
Gianna Gemelli
Antoinette Goff‐Weaver
Santino Guardado
Maya Jahnke
Anthony Jerominek
Jessica Johnston
Ocena Mancuso
Natalee Merchant
Nyanhial Nguoth
Cameron Patterson
Evan Roberts
Jose Rodriguez
Phoenix Rudd
Erica Sabino
Max Smith
John Spratt
Jamie Studer
Jon Van Nort
Drackline Verly
Noelle Walker
Harold Wall
Victoria Wimpenney
Mya Yaddow
Jaquayia Younes