Ossining Grad Wins Scholarship

Five 2010 graduates of the Communications Academy at The Tech Center at Putnam/Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services received scholarships recently at a special ceremony attended by faculty, administrators and students.

 Kahlilah Lilley, an Ossining High School graduate, and Melissa Marques, a graduate of Walter Panas High School, both former Fashion Design and Merchandising students at BOCES, received Fashion Show Scholarships.

 “The Tech Center really taught me how to handle myself in an interview, how to apply lessons to the real world and how to communicate effectively,” said Kahlilah, who attends Clark Atlanta University, where she is studying business, marketing and fashion merchandising.

 Cory Boyle, a Hendrick Hudson High School graduate, received the Ingrid Boffi Memorial Scholarship. Cory studied Computer Graphics at BOCES and attends SUNY Purchase. Cory said he loves Purchase and was able to get an internship his first semester as a result of what he had learned at The Tech Center.

 “Everything I learned at the Tech Center, I’m using at my internship at Inspiria Media in White Plains,” said Cory. “I feel really prepared.”

 Currently a student at Fashion Institute of Technology, Melissa credited The Tech Center with giving her a jump start on her college studies and helping her to earn a coveted spot as an intern at the Fall Fashion Shows in New York City.

 “I think I was picked to work on one of the designer shows because of the confidence I displayed and the work I had done at BOCES,” said Melissa, who hopes to also work during spring Fashion Week. What’s more, she said, thanks to the course work she did at BOCES, she was ahead of her peers in all the intro level courses at FIT.

 Christa Lamia, a Putnam Valley High School graduate, studied Television Production & Digital Film while at The Tech Center. She was awarded the Harrison Apar Memorial Scholarship. Christa, who is currently studying at Westchester Community College, plans to go to Hunter College in the fall to study broadcasting and other media. Christa said the Tech Center program “really taught me how to write,” which has helped her succeed in her college classes.

 Shanikah Bennett, a Yorktown High School graduate, the Rosamaria Marinaccio Memorial Scholarship.  Shanikah was an Advertising Art & Digital Design student at BOCES and is currently attending the University of Hartford Art School.

 The named scholarships were created to honor former students and teachers who embodied the goals of the Communications Academy. Now in its 15^th year, the Academy offers courses in TV Production & Digital Film, Advertising, Art & Design, Computer Graphics, Animation and Motion Graphics and Fashion Design.