Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus recognized the commitment of local youth volunteers and teachers as well as the accomplishments of more than thirty five 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 38 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.
Five students were each awarded $2,000 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 five scholarship recipients were:
Student: Nominated By: For:
Jean Apolo DC BOCES Alternative High School Success Despite Despite Difficult Odds
Tiffany Brooks Poughkeepsie High School Most Significant Improvement In Overall Performance
Michael Lynch John Jay High School Success Despite Difficult Odds
Samantha Brittain Cornell Cooperative Extension Green Teen Program Success Despite Difficult Odds
Armando Vera-Quintana Poughkeepsie High School Success Despite Difficult Odds
The Dutchess County Youth Board also recognized several adults who have supported the efforts of young people by providing caring support and encouragement. Three youth workers were honored in the following categories:
Professional Teacher Award
Barbara Murray, Physical Education Teacher, Red Hook High School
Professional Youth Worker Awards
Lauren McMenamin, Town of Fishkill Recreation Department
Dorothy O. Lasday Award for Volunteerism
Gwen Higgins, Co-advisor for Stissing Mountain High School S.T.O.P. Club (Students and Teachers Opposed to Prejudice)
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This year’s Youth Board Annual Luncheon event also recognized the 35th anniversary of the Dutchess County Youth Services Unit (YSU). The YSU was established in 1975 to divert children and youth from the justice system, making services such as short term counseling and referral assistance available to young people on the verge of trouble and in need of help. Its structure offers youth, professionals, and families an opportunity to come together to solve problems underlying troublesome behavior before the youth is labeled delinquent. YSU is not a part of the justice system although it does receive referrals from the police, Probation, and the courts.Today, YSU services go beyond delinquency prevention and include a range of assistance to families in crisis or struggling such as short term counseling, advocacy, referral and educational presentations. Throughout its 35 years, more than 10,000 young people have assisted with individual counseling and life skills through the YSU. Nearly 22,200 youth, parents and professionals have attended workshops presented by YSU staff addressing relevant issues and teaching hands on skills for negotiating life's bumps and curves successfully.
2010 County Executive Youth Excellence Award Recipients
Most Significant Improvement in Overall Performance
Student: Nominated by:
John Bergfels Webutuck High School
Kaylee Broad Arlington High School
Michaela Gray Dutchess County Youth Bureau/Project Return
Meggan Kalkowski John Jay High School
Kimberly Roberson Oakwood Friends School
Sean Petrelli Dutchess Community College GED Program
Ryan Schroder Orville A. Todd Middle School
Arden Schulhoff Millbrook High School
Marvin Shaw Dutchess County Youth Bureau/Project Return
Michael Thorbjornsen LaGrange Middle School
D’asia Tolliver Poughkeepsie High School
Da’shea Whitaker Mill Street Loft – PASWORD Program
Success Despite Difficult Odds
Student: Nominated by:
Samantha Adams Lagrange Middle School
Shiesha Alexander Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce YES Program
Christen Anderson Nubian Directions/New Directions Youth Build/AmeriCorps Program
Kristen Arndt DC BOCES Alternative High School
Kendall Brooks Rombout Middle School
Ashley Brown Orville A. Todd Middle School
Angeles Castellanos Dutchess BOCES CTI
Sean Clark Dutchess County Youth Bureau/Project Return
Calvin Darling Poughkeepsie High School
Evan Gally LaGrange Middle School
Corey Heisler Astor Services for Children and Families/Family Based Treatment Program
Ellexis Hoerl Van Wyck Jr. High School
Charles Link Arlington High School
Caitlin Maguire Dover High School
Hershley Philogene Oakwood Friends School
Stephanie Rugar F.D. Roosevelt High School
Amanda Spatta DC BOCES Alternative High School
Courtney Spaulding Webutuck Jr./Sr. High School
Cassidy Tuz Pawling Central Middle School
Christopher Vanbenschoten Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce YES Program
Christopher Williams Astor Services for Children and Families
Volunteer or Community Service
Student: Nominated by:
Shauna Cottle Arlington High School
Jessica Cuneo Oakwood Friends School
Jillian Hennessey Orville A. Todd Middle School
Eugene Tebordo John Jay High School
Jessica Wallace Mill Street Loft - Project Aware