LIBERTY – On June 3, Sullivan BOCES held its 41st Annual Academic Achievement Celebration at the Rubin Pollack Education Center to honor the county’s top four percent of students from the Class of 2026. The event was attended by Superintendents of Schools, Principals, Board Presidents, and Denise Frangipane, CEO of Sullivan 180, who served as the guest speaker.

Ms. Frangipane congratulated the students on their exceptional academic achievements and expressed her pride in their hard work and dedication. She recognized the students for being community-minded and used her own journey as an example of how new opportunities can cross one’s path and open doors that lead to even more opportunities. To close, she shared several tips to guide the students as they begin their next chapter and left them with a few of her favorite quotes.

Tips:

• Find and do work that you love

• Give back

• Lead with compassion and heart

• Explore and have adventures

• Remember to maintain a healthy work-life balance

• Be an active participant in your own life

• And don’t live for the camera

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” — Everett Hale

During the ceremony, each student shared their plans for the future, and their School Superintendent, Board President, and High School Principal presented them with a Certificate of Achievement and a Rocketbook notebook, generously donated by Rolling V Bus Corporation.

Sullivan BOCES Deputy Superintendent Susan A. Schmidt concluded the ceremony with the “Five W’s of Life” for the students to reflect upon:

1)    Who you are is what makes you special. Don’t change for anyone.

2)    What lies ahead will always be a mystery. Don’t be afraid to explore.

3)    Where there are choices to make, make the one you won’t regret.

4)    When life pushes you over, push back even harder.

5)    Why things happen will never be certain. Take it in stride, move forward, and always believe in yourself.

This year’s top students include:

Eldred CSD:  Marissa Gochenour, and Tabitha Smith

Fallsburg CSD: Andrew Bensimon, Douglas Medina Carcamo Jr., Angelina Alvarado, and Karrine Bennett

Liberty CSD: Cassandra Porter, Lia Guillerme, Brooke Porter, Carmela Burgio, Sheyla Anguisaca-Llanos, William Pennell, and Runxian Chen

Monticello CSD: Kenny Walz, Evan Chen, Matthew Weinstein, Paulina Zajkowski, Gavin Shupe, Rebekah Joyce, Sean McAssey, Hailee Jackson, Emily Pine, and Reagan Zangla

Rockland CSD: Frances Ball, Robert Eckert, Halie Cheng, and Adam Rivera

Sullivan West CSD:  Hunter Ebeling, Weilian Gao, Gracyn Halloran, and Gabriella Gladding

Tri-Valley CSD:  Savannah Chaboty, Emma Richardson, and Sophia Richardson