Class of 2023 graduates earn seal for mastering trades at BOCES

August 16, 2023 at 11:04 p.m.

Six students from Port Chester High School’s Class of 2023 received the New York State Education Department’s Technical Endorsement when they earned their diplomas in June. The award is achieved by completing additional coursework in their junior and senior years through the Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Service (BOCES). (Courtesy photo of File Photo)

Six Port Chester High School students who dedicated parts of their academic journey to learning about the trades were recognized for that ambition as they graduated with the Class of 2023.

When they walked across the field back in June to collect their diplomas, they also received the New York State Technical Endorsement due to that additional coursework.

The students are:

*Evan Ceja

*Diana Guadalupe Coyt

*Brian Huerto

*Joseph Llamocca

*Michael Michaca Gamez

*Marvin Alexander Molina

To earn the Technical Endorsement, which Port Chester High School deems the Seal of Technical Distinction, students must successfully complete a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program with a minimum of 3.5 credits and pass each part of a three-part technical assessment, according to the New York State Education Department’s website.

“The students from Port Chester High School who participated in our CTE program have exemplified excellence by surpassing rigorous academic and technical standards. Through immersive work-based learning experiences and integrated courses, they have honed invaluable skills and gained practical insights,” said Dahlia Jackson, director of Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Center for Career Services, in a statement.

“By earning the prestigious New York State Technical Endorsement, these passionate individuals have unlocked alternative pathways and opportunities to shine and thrive in their chosen careers,” she continued. “Their remarkable achievements continue to inspire us, and we remain committed to empowering all students on their journey to success."

According to Port Chester High School Principal Luke Sotherden, 40-50 students attend classes at BOCES in addition to their regular coursework. Students are ferried over by bus to BOCES in Valhalla for morning sessions and return in the afternoon for traditional high school classes.

    Diana Coyt graduates from Port Chester High School on June 23 with a Technical Endorsement from the New York State Education Department, also known as the Seal of Technical Distinction from Port Chester High School.
 File Photo   

Participating in the program is open to Port Chester High School juniors and seniors who are on track to graduate.

“It’s something that I think all our students who go to BOCES should strive for,” Sotherden said of the technical endorsement. “It’s not like you go to BOCES and get this seal—there’s rigorous work to be done.”

Conversations about learning technical skills such as automotive technology or plumbing begin with the school’s guidance counselors, Sotherden said.

“Once the kids are transitioning from eighth to ninth grade, they start to help develop a child’s post-secondary plan,” he said. “The guidance counselors are the ones who advertise those opportunities and we have information in our program of studies and talk about it in our freshman orientation nights.”

Michael Michaca Gamez was one of those Class of 2023 graduates who earned the Technical Endorsement through coursework at BOCES.

His father is an electrician, he said, so Gamez studied the same field in the program so he could start working with him after school.

“It helps in a way because once you start working, you know more than the average person would know when starting out,” he said.