Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus celebrated commitment of local youth volunteers and teachers as well as the accomplishments of more than forty young people at the Dutchess County Youth Board Annual Luncheon today at Dutchess Community College.
County Executive Steinhaus said, “The Youth Excellence Awards represent what a great community we have here in Dutchess County. These awards celebrate the achievement of our youth and pay tribute to the adults who have gone above and beyond to make our young people shine.”
Each year, the Youth Board honors Dutchess County youth who have overcome significant challenges in their lives, improved their academic performance or volunteered for community service. The young people honored often lack effective support systems, face physical or emotional health issues or perhaps exhibited delinquent behavior at some time in the past.
The County Executive’s YEA! Awards were designed to celebrate these young people’s ability to learn, renew and recreate themselves in the face of change, challenge or adverse conditions in order to move forward with their lives. Without these awards, the improved performance of many of these young people may be otherwise overlooked.
County Executive Steinhaus presented 43 young people with the County Executive’s Youth Excellence Awards (YEA). Each student has been nominated by local schools or agencies in one of the following categories: Most Significant Improvement in Overall Performance, Success Despite Difficult Odds and Volunteer or Community Service. A complete list of the award recipients is enclosed.
Four students were each awarded $1,500 YEA Scholarships to Dutchess Community College provided in part by the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Benevolent Association and the Dutchess County Youth Board Endowment Fund. The four scholarship recipients were:
| Student: | Nominated by: | For: |
| Abigail Agustin | DC Youth Services Unit | Success Despite Difficult Odds |
| Shevon Allen | Dover High School | Success Despite Difficult Odds |
| Chelsea Orts | Roy C. Ketcham High School | Success Despite Difficult Odds |
| Jessenya Rosario | Hudson River Housing, River Haven | Success Despite Difficult Odds |
Professional Teacher Award
Susan Birchman, Joseph D’Aquanni West Road Intermediate School
Professional Youth Worker Awards
Jason Maietta, Town of Fishkill Recreation Department
Dorothy O. Lasday Award for Volunteerism
Arlene Larsen, volunteer at the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse
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Most Significant Improvement in Overall Performance | |
| Student: | Nominated by: |
| Jason Alfonso | Mill Street Loft Habilidad Program |
| Susann Bendheim | Millbrook High School |
| Jenna Finger | John Jay High School |
| Laura Gieseler | Arlington High School |
| Alyssa Gonzalez | DC Youth Bureau, Youth Services Unit |
| William Lewis | Roy C. Ketcham High School |
| Corey Rawles | Orville Todd Middle School |
| Brenden Robustelli | Webutuck High School |
| Antonio Emilio Shanks, Jr. | DC BOCES Alternative High School |
| Corey VanBergen | Orchard View Alternative High School |
| Moriah Walters | Mill Street Loft, Project AWARE |
| Romain Williams | Cornell Cooperative Extension Green Teen Program - Poughkeepsie |
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| Student: | Nominated by: |
| Kayla Battle | Cornell Cooperative Extension Green Teen Program - Beacon |
| Keith Bennett | Cornell Cooperative Extension, ACT for Youth Initiative |
| Cherokee Bishop | Eugene Brooks Middle School |
| Aaron Croulet | DC BOCES Alternative High School |
| Taylor DeSario | Orville Todd Middle School |
| Alexa Espinoza | Linden Avenue Middle School |
| Tory Finfinis | LaGrange Middle School |
| Brian Hand | DC Youth Bureau, Youth Services Unit |
| Arturo Juarez | Mill St. Loft Habilidad Program |
| Sabrina Keto | F.D. Roosevelt High School |
| Angelica Leon | Orville Todd Middle School |
| Steven Meddaugh | Mental Health America in Dutchess County |
| Katherine Pena | DC Youth Bureau, Youth Services Unit |
| Rashad Ricketts | Poughkeepsie Middle School |
| Yesenia Santos-Vasquez | Millbrook High School |
| Sean Scott | Orchard View Alternative High School |
| Jason Seay | Dutchess Youth Career Works |
| Te’Natra Settles | Astor Adolescent Day Treatment Program |
| Jasmyn Smith | Spackenkill High School |
| Eddie Taylor | DC Youth Services Unit, Project Return |
| Tajai TAYLOR | Poughkeepsie High School |
| Amanda Vermilyea | Arlington High School |
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| Student: | Nominated by: |
| Kristina Biszick | Orchard View Alternative High School |
| Shannon Fiore | Orville Todd Middle School |
| Takneesha Shorte | Mill St. Loft, PASWORD Program |
| Angeala Weinacht | Hudson River Housing, River Haven Transitional Living Community |
| Alicia Wilson | Battered Women’s Services of Family Services, Inc. |