Ulster BOCES means different things to different people. For John Livermore, Ulster BOCES meant taking his penchant for cooking and turning it into a rewarding career that led to him to becoming a successful small business owner.

Livermore was inspired to enter the culinary field by his grandmother, who worked as a cook at Cahill Elementary School. As a child, he recalls going to work with her some mornings before being dropped off at his own school, St. Mary's of the Snow, as well as joining her as she prepared dinner for the parish's priests and nuns.

"Being in the kitchen was what I enjoyed doing," Livermore remembers. He was even washing dishes at the age of 12 at a local restaurant.

Although he did not consider himself a struggling student, his interest in school waned when he started his freshman year at Saugerties High School (SHS). "I didn't feel challenged," he says. "I was more interested in getting out of school and getting to work."

Thanks to his SHS guidance counselor, he learned about the Culinary Arts program at the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center and the opportunity to turn his interests into a secure living. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs for chefs and head cooks is expected to rise nine percent through the year 2024.

At Ulster BOCES, Livermore's interest grew into his passion. In fact, perfecting his food preparation skills and learning about the restaurant industry meant more to him than participating in teenage rites of passage such as going to prom. "I really started to enjoy myself as a person when I got into the [culinary] classroom and learned about who I was as a young man."

Livermore, who graduated in 1988, credits the Ulster BOCES program with helping him develop the confidence he needed to one day become part of a professional kitchen staff.

"I learned a lot of hands-on skills and restaurant practicality," Livermore says. He recalls that he and his classmates were given hands-on lessons in various restaurant and hotel positions, as well as learning firsthand about planning, pricing, and serving. "One day you were the prep guy or a server, the next day you were the maître d' or the cashier. You learned all of the aspects of the hotel and restaurant industry, including being able to produce a menu in advance," he says.

Livermore says the program also incorporated core academic subjects. "For example, costing out a menu requires a ton of math," he explains. He said students also learned how to calculate the depreciation of equipment and a restaurant's physical building. "You had to have a basic understanding of what a business goes through."

The solid foundation he built while at Ulster BOCES, and the cooking classes he took at SHS, benefitted him when he enrolled at SUNY Cobleskill to pursue his bachelor's degree in culinary arts. The experience reinforced lessons about how critical teamwork is in the kitchen. "You learn to live and work with other people, and see how other people operate," Livermore says. "That is an invaluable lesson."

After graduation, Livermore held institutional food service positions in hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. It was when he was working at a nursing home he realized that in order to advance in his career, he had to return to school and become a certified dietary manager.

After leaving this job, he went on to hold different managerial positions in the food service industry. While the investment paid off, the long hours and stress of supervising employees prompted him to begin thinking about opening his own eatery.

"If I am going to work this hard, than I am going to work this hard for myself," Livermore recalls thinking.

In 2002, Livermore purchased property on Kings Highway in Saugerties, renovated one of the four buildings on the lot, and opened the Stone Pony Delicatessen & Pizzeria. He has since expanded and added a catering component and the Smokin' Pony BBQ, which have proven to be successful additions to his business.

"You have to be able to sell yourself; be well dressed and be on time. You need work experience and that's what BOCES gives you, and that's a huge thing."

Livermore says one of the important lessons he learned at Ulster BOCES is benevolence. When Livermore and his staff aren't creating delicious fare, he often can be found involved in various charitable events.

His dedication to the community relates back to his experiences at Ulster BOCES where he says his former teacher Ruth Quick would pair her stronger students with ones who could learn from them. "I learned to have compassion," says Livermore.