Academic Achievement Dinner celebrates county elite

By RICHARD A ROSS

ELDRED, NY — For the past 21 years, on the first Monday night in June, the county’s finest students have gathered to partake in the Academic Achievement Dinner sponsored by the school districts of Sullivan County.

The Eldred Preserve serves as the venue for this event, which is the first in a series of commemorative activities that will honor students this month, culminating in the round of graduation ceremonies slated for the last week in June.

This year the guest speaker was Arthur Brien, President and CEO of Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC). Under Brien’s tenure, the hospital has grown substantially, but the focus of his message this night had less to do with success than with staying the course, despite the curves that life is apt to toss.

Had it not been for his father’s untimely death, Brien might have gone on to become a plumber just like his father. Instead, he pursued his interest in accounting and, after a series of other vicissitudes, wound up in his current position as CEO of CRMC.

“Life will throw you a curve but you’re not out until you say you’re out,” he told the students. “You can do anything in life as long as you persevere,” he added.

Students then got up to tell the audience where they will be attending college and what their majors will be. They included the following:

Eldred: Sarah Doran will attend SUNY New Paltz to study journalism; Kyle Anthony, Bucknell for English; Andrea Boyar, Hunter College for medical science. Fallsburg: Brody Ehrlich will attend Cornell for business; Lisa Scheinman, Ithaca for communications; Jenna Leventoff, Case Western for business and political science. Liberty: Marshall Isseks will attend Emory Univerity; Ji Eun Park, Hunter for pre-med; Jacob Kirsch, Franklin and Marshall for pre-med. Honorees Erin Slaver and Fatima Chouhdry were not in attendance. Livingston Manor: Caroline Price, Houghton for art and writing; Miranda Zeininger, St. Thomas Aquinas for art therapy and education. Monticello: Tara Komatz, Oneonta for early childhood education; Craig Titus, Pratt for graphic design; Spencer Siegel, American University for political science. Honorees John Garry, Christina Makram, Nickolas Glickenhouse and Kristian Krol were not in attendance. Roscoe: Angela Niforatos will attend Elmira for English; Stephanie Brock, Oneonta for Spanish Education. Sullivan West: Eleanor Bryan, Genesseo for English; David Lundgren, Binghamton University for physics and chemical science; Kimberly Parks, SUNY Albany for biology; Adam Nebzydoski, Penn State for chemical engineering; Michael VanWagenen, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for civil engineering. Tri-Valley: James Walsh, Hartwick College for history; Joseph Garigliano, Notre Dame University for business management; Danielle Musa, Cornell for human development; Clarissa Leverich, Cedarcrest College for art therapy.

All students were presented with a thesaurus courtesy of The Times Herald Record, and a copy of the poem “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann.

Handler read the famous poem that is emblematic of sage advice, counsel and encouragement.

For pictures of the honorees present at this year’s dinner, click here.