When the Mahopac High School Class of 2014 marches onto the football field to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance, Garrett Cain and Brandan Gornie will be in the line of march, a place they weren’t so sure they would occupy just a year ago.
Cain, 17, said his junior year was tough for him in school. Depression caused him to check out on his classes, miss assignments and fall behind. As a result, he was going into what should have been his senior year lacking the necessary credits to graduate.
Despite doing well in the engineering program at the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Tech Center, Gornie, 18, said he was failing his classes at Mahopac because he lacked motivation. But he wanted to graduate.
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Enter New Directions: an alternative program for students who wish to receive a diploma but haven’t been successful in the mainstream. New Directions is housed in two classrooms in the new ground floor addition of Mahopac High School along with the school’s wood shop and art classroom.
The program has four subject area teachers for science, math, English, and social studies; two special education teachers; and a psychologist. After voluntarily entering the program, each student assists in developing a unique plan for completing course requirements and credits in compliance with the district and New York State standards.
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“It was tailored to me. I could choose what I wanted to do and what time schedule I wanted to do it in,” said Gornie. “I’m taking some classes upstairs like participation in government and I’ m making up other work here.”
Cain said he actually could have graduated ahead of schedule. “I had the choice to graduate early if I took one of my courses online but I chose not to rush it,” he said. “I’m taking environmental science and oceanography, participation in government and economics and English 12.”
During a visit to New Directions on a warm spring day, it was easy to see how the program works for a diverse group of students. At a conference table, one student worked on a math problem that involved balancing a checkbook, while another student studied for a Global History exam and another completed a science assignment. By the window, three students sat at a small table discussing a novel. Teachers moved around the room, answering questions and offering encouragement or help where needed.
“With New Directions, you are not falling through the cracks,” said Cain. “There’s motivation to get the work done and there’s always someone to help. It is much less stressful.”
Gornie said New Directions has helped him develop the work ethic he needs for college and beyond. “I’ve learned how to set goals and motivate myself and I’ve learned organization,” he said, adding that in the past he was only motivated to study subjects he enjoyed.
Both students remarked that the teachers and staff in New Directions treat them like family. “I love every teacher in this program for their own reasons. Getting the work done is easier here because we’re so engaged. They care and they want what is best for us,” said Cain.
“The teachers are like a big group of parents,” said Gornie. “They look out for us and encourage us.”
The other intangible benefit that both Cain and Gornie spoke about was the bond among the students in New Directions. “It is really warm and welcoming. I have a positive relationship with everyone down here. It is a great group,” said Cain.
Gornie added, “We all have lunch together and get to know one another. You can express yourself here. Everybody cheers each other on.”
While New Directions has made graduation possible for Cain and Gornie, it is just the beginning. “These guys are highly intelligent,” said Lisa Quinn, the program’s counselor. “They can achieve anything they want to achieve.”
Gornie said he plans to attend Dutchess Community College where he hopes to earn his core credits for a bachelor’s degree before moving on to a four-year college. “I feel pretty confident about Dutchess Community. I passed all the pre-tests and I’m ready,” he said.
Cain, who was admitted to seven of the eight colleges he applied to for the fall, will attend the State University of New York at New Paltz where he plans to study social work or environmental science.
“I have a passion for helping people,” Cain said. “I also love environmental science, so we’ll see.”
