Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Middle School Academy Awards Ceremony To be held at SUNY Rockland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: July 25, 2008

CONTACT: Lisa Saunders

(845) 574-4244

Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Middle School Academy Awards Ceremony
To be held at SUNY Rockland Community College

Suffern, NY - The East Ramapo Central middle school students who completed the Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Academy will receive awards at a ceremony to be held on Friday, August 1, 8:30 a.m., in the SUNY Rockland Community College Cultural Arts Center Cafeteria and Theater.

The mission of the Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Academy is to provide educational opportunities for all students to achieve their highest potential.  The school is designed to meet the needs of diverse learners and to involve parents as equal partners in their children’s achievements. Students learn to appreciate their history, culture and learn to make positive contributions to the well-being of their community.

As a part of the program, students spent a day at SUNY Rockland attending various workshops.  Workshops included:  The “N” Word; Workforce Preparation; Early Stages of College Admissions; Alcohol and the Media; Hot Jobs and Cool Careers; The Real Deal of College Decisions (presented by two SUNY Rockland students).

Workshop Presenters included:

Ms. Sherise Alleyne, Cornell University, Cooperative Extension

Mr. Shane Aspinall, Communication/Media Arts Student

Mr. James Behrens, Investigator, Rockland County Intelligence Unit, Gang Division

Ms. Debra Bouabidi, Director, Financial Aid

Ms. Ruth Bowles, Executive Director, Rockland Council on Alcoholism and Other Dependencies

Officer Ronny Charles, Spring Valley Police Department

Dr. Eugene Henderson, Jr., Vice President, Student Development, Rockland Community College

Ms. Briana Stewart, Communication/Media Arts Student

Ms. Dana Stilley, Admissions Office, Rockland Community College

The graduation will include an informational session for parents, where college administrators will present information on college admissions and financial aid.  Speakers during the program include, Dr. Cliff L. Wood, President of SUNY Rockland Community College and Mr. Joseph Farmer, Deputy Superintendent of the East Ramapo Central School District.  In addition to certificates awarded to the students for graduation, certificates will be presented to the students by Legislator Bill Darden and the Honorable New York State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee.

For more information, contact Doreen Zarcone, Assistant Director, Campus Communications or 845-574-4323 or Elizabeth Solages, Recruiter, 845-574-4322. For more information about the College, visit www.sunyrockland.edu

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Rockland Community College, a unit of the State University of New York, is located 25 miles northwest of NYC. The majority of its students transfer to four-year colleges, and many find immediate employment upon earning their associate's degree or certificate. The College also offers others, from preschoolers to senior citizens, the opportunity to simply learn something new. Quality education...at a price you can afford.