Glow of brilliance

County’s elite academic stars honored at 23rd Achievement Dinner

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIBERTY, NY—In any evaluation of talent, there are those who are adjudged as good, some who are better yet and the rare few whose performance rates them as exceptional. Just such a gathering of Sullivan County’s academic elite attended the 23rd annual Academic Achievement Dinner on June 2, held at Albert’s Restaurant.

The ceremony was hosted by Sullivan County BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Martin Handler.

Handler began his duties a decade ago with the hosting of the 13th Academic Achievement Dinner. By now, many of those students who stood at the podium to tell where they were going to school and what they would be studying have entered the working world as doctors, lawyers, engineers and a variety of other estimable professions.

This year’s guest speaker was Michael Dollard, the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. Dollard, who will be retiring at the end of this school year, began as a special education instructor at Sullivan County BOCES in 1972. He moved on to become a staff developer and the director of special education before assuming the role as Handler’s right hand man. Dollard has a special interest in wellness.

Dollard, who is part of the Baby Boomer generation, celebrated “The Millenials,” the group that this year’s crop of academic standouts represents. In 10 years, it is this group that will form the vanguard in the workplace.

“We’re in for a bright future,” said Dollard, who spoke about Roger Bannister, the first human to break the four-minute mile. The year was 1954, and Bannister, who had been badly burned as a child and was told he might never walk again, did what was deemed impossible. In the next 12 months, 33 others followed suit. A year hence, that number had burgeoned to 300.

“Set a dream and don’t be swayed by naysayers,” said Dollard. “Finally, study success models and know you’re going to make mistakes. Don’t avoid things because you’re afraid to fail.”

The students were then called to the podium to tell where they will be going to school and what they will be studying. Each received a thesaurus from The Times-Herald Record.

Handler concluded the evening with his traditional reading from the poem, “Desiderata.” It’s timeless advice for approaching life’s challenges is perfectly apt for the occasion.

Visit riverreporter.com for an album of pictures of this year’s attendees.