What is Ulster BOCES?
Ulster BOCES means different things to different people. To Danielle D’Amato, a Seaman Apprentice with the United States Navy stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma,Ulster BOCES means having the support and love of a home and family that she can always come back to.

Danielle was once considered an “at risk” student. Suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Danielle found it extremely difficult to learn in the regular classroom setting of her home school district. So, as a freshman in 1998, Danielle came from Onteora Central School District to the Ulster BOCES Center for Alternative Education (known to students and staff as the A-School).

“I really liked the one-on-one attention the teachers at the A-School gave me, which is what helped me the most. They build a level of trust with you just like a friend would, and they take the time to help you,” Danielle says.

At the A-School, Danielle began to flourish academically. Passionate about cooking, when she was a junior, Danielle enrolled in the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center’s Culinary Arts program.

“I love cooking! If it wasn’t for the opportunities that the Ulster BOCES Culinary Arts program presented to me, I don’t know what I would do with my life,” exclaims Danielle who, while still in high school, obtained a job as a head chef at Marlee’s Grille in Woodstock. “I chefed there everyday in the summer. It was great.”

During her senior year, Danielle decided to enlist with the United States Navy. During her Recognition Ceremony in June 2001, a United States Naval officer presented Danielle with a Montgomery GI Bill scholarship check in the amount of $23,400. Along with her Naval service to the United States, Danielle is studying psychology at Rose State College. She eventually plans to attend a culinary school. Not surprisingly, when she is out on missions, she does the cooking. “I use some old World War II ovens and they can get pretty hot! I’ve cooked everything from steak to shrimp for my crew. They seem to like my cooking!”

Although contemplating a career in the Navy, one thing Danielle is sure of is that she would like to one day open her own restaurant. “I really, really enjoy the Pastry Arts. I like to see the reactions from people sampling my desserts. So maybe one day I’ll open a bakery. Something sweet and nice.”

When Danielle recently came back to the area on leave, one of her first stops was to visit her former teachers at the Center for Alternative Education. She was also one of the featured guest speakers at this year’s Recognition Ceremony. Clad in her white dress Naval uniform, Danielle addressed her friends and former teachers by saying, “If it wasn’t for the A-School, I would’ve dropped out of school. I didn’t think I’d get through high school, but I did. I thank the teachers here everyday. They never gave up on me. To the graduates, you have a lot to be proud of. Now don’t you give up, don’t ever give up!”

“Ulster BOCES taught me so much,” reflects Danielle. “The teachers there are really good people. I made a lot of friends. To me, Ulster BOCES is pretty much a home I know I can always come back to. It’s family.”