Smiles and tears of happiness abounded at the annual Ulster BOCES General 
Equivalency Diploma (GED) graduation ceremony held recently at the Career & Technical Center in Port Ewen where 52 students from across the region were recognized for completing their diploma requirements during the 2004-05 academic year.
“At sometime in your lives, you decided to give up on school,” remarked Howard Korn, director of Career & Technical Education and Adult Services, as he spoke to the graduating students, proudly clad in their black caps and gowns. “Most importantly, you made a wise choice—to return to school. Amidst work, raising children, and other demands, you also became students, and here you are today…graduating. Each of you represents a success story. Education is the door that opens to a lifetime of opportunities. Congratulations and best of luck.”
A very special highlight of the evening was The Rose Ceremony, when the 11-year-old daughter of Ulster BOCES teacher Amy Garcia, sang a beautiful rendition of the song “The Rose,” while each student presented a single red rose to the people who made a difference in his or her life. Then several students shared stories of their GED experiences with their fellow graduates, family, and friends.
“Two of the most special girls in the world, my 10- and 12-year old nieces, encouraged me to come back to school,” began graduate Elaine Buckley of Saugerties. “I take care of these angels after school while their parents are working. I would help them with their homework. It didn’t take long for me not to be able to help them anymore as their lessons went beyond my skills. They asked me to come to school with them. I felt ashamed of my lack of schooling, so I enrolled in the Ulster BOCES GED program. I spent many hours studying…I passed my test, received my GED, and I am forever grateful to my angels and to Ulster BOCES. I feel great. This is the biggest accomplishment of my life.”
Fellow graduate Raymond Wright from Kingston shared his reflections of the GED program with the audience. “I made a lot of mistakes in my life and quitting school was the biggest one,” noted Wright. “Thank you Ulster BOCES and GRASP (Giving Ready Adults a Study Program) for giving me the help to change my life.”
In closing the ceremony, Karen VanNorstrand, literacy coordinator at Ulster BOCES, spoke to the graduating class. “Learning never ends. Hopefully, you will continue on this path. Congratulations!”
