A THRILLING EVENING PROMISING NEW BEGINNINGSGraduating the Class of 2017

G R A D U A T I O N E D I T I O N !

PCTI Seniors were alight with excitement as they gathered in the school’s Athletic Center on the evening of June 22nd. They posed candidly, swathed in blue and white gowns, for photos that would capture a moment frozen forever in time. The occasion was none other than the 53rd Commencement Ceremony where more than 780 seniors would cross the threshold to become high school graduates.

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SUMMER 2017 / ISSUE 4

Members of Class of 2017 were greeted by 4,000 of their closest family and friends who cheered wildly as they processed across the football field. Each program was led by NJROTC members and one of fourteen program banners. Seniors waved their roses in front of strategically placed cameras. For the second year in PCTI history, graduation was livestreamed and broadcast to countries around the world.

Class President Tiamera Ellen took to the podium and welcomed everyone in attendance. She was followed by Co-Vice President Ann Pino who delivered the Invocation and shared moving words for 2017 Class Advisor, Thomas Woods, who sadly passed away two years ago. In his memory, the soon to be graduates affixed

lavender ribbons to their gowns as a touching tribute.

Speeches were made by other class officers as well as by Salutatorian Sa-mantha Carrillo and Co-Valedictorians Nirav Kinkhabwala and Kishan Rana. The latter shared the stage proudly, saying the responsibility of having the highest rank in the Class of 2017 was an enjoyable one and helped ease the burden that comes with being the best. It was all about com-radery. To further underscore their point, both Nirav and Kishan candidly presented a fun-filled rap that chronicled their time at Passaic County Technical Institute.

Following the humorous display, Superin-tendent Diana C. Lobosco and Principal

Dr. Michael Parent congratulated the Class of 2017. Joining in the graduation festivities were members of the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. A special speech was delivered by Freehold-er Director Cassandra Lazzara.

The excitement was palpable as members of the Class of 2017 were called forth to receive their diplomas. Board of Education President Al Alexander, Vice President Damaris M. Solomon, and Commissioners Glenn Brown and Michael Coscia passed out diplomas. Freeholder Director Cassan-dra Lazzara and Advisors of the Class of 2017 Penny Roman, Brian Lawshe, Anjali Wahi, and James Cappello also provided assistance.

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Lincoln of Wayne “Driven to Give” The newfound graduates enthusiastically threw their caps into the air to the sound of wild applause. Their high energy and dedication to the cause of a good educa-tion truly exemplified this year’s school-wide theme of Can’t Stop the Feeling. Congratulations Bulldogs, we’re proud of all your accomplishments and know you’ll continue to succeed in the future!

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The excitement was palpable as members of the Class of 2017 were called forth to

receive their diplomas.

25 Year HonoreesRobert Busha, Electric/House Wiring Instructor

Amy Berkemeyer, Medical Arts Instructor/STC Coordinator

Joe Gravino, Automotive Technology Instructor

David Cox, Supervisor of Custodians & Transportation

Laketha Phillips, Transportation Coordinator

Emma Hernandez, Executive Secretary to the Principal

Marybel Hernandez, Child Study Team

Silvia Favaro, Office Staff/Secretary

Rodney DeVore, Grade Level Coordinator

Scott Bischoff, Maintenance

H O N O R I N G F E L L O W B U L L D O G S

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40 Year HonoreesCharles Weinpel, Social Studies Instructor

James Cappello, English Instructor

Beverly Maiello, English Instructor

Larry Rakitt, Director of Educational Data/Management

2016-2017 RETIREESWe’re saying goodbye to the best of the best who are starting new chapters in their lives. Thank you for your tireless dedication to our students and school!

Jan Alvarez, Cosmetology Instructor

Amy Berkemeyer, Instructor of Medical Arts /STC Coordinator

Margaret DeMaio, Child Development Instructor

William J. Easton, Crisis Counselor

David Griep, Welding Instructor

Audrey Jantzen, Teacher of the Handicapped

Beverly Maiello, English Instructor

Cathy Pagano, Social Studies Instructor

Joan Paruta, Teacher of the Handicapped

Joseph Peterson, Discipline Coordinator

Ronni D. Nochimson, Administrative Assistant Human Resources/Business Office

Celestine Sumter, Data Entry

Gwendolyn Luis, Instructional Aide

Walter Breakey, Instructional Substitute

PCTI is celebrating members of the Bulldog family who have committed to enriching our high school for the past twenty-five and forty years:

C E L E B R A T I N G S C H O L A R S H I P with Senior Awards NightMembers of the Class of 2017 were invited to a spectacular evening that celebrated academic recognition and scholarship with the annual Senior Awards night. The event highlights student excellence and achievement with scholarships presented by numerous business, educational, community, and military sponsors.

One hundred and fifty-two seniors of Passaic County Technical Institute were honored at this year’s Senior Awards Night. PCTI’s Education Foundation awarded more than $56,000 to six-ty-four students. Another highlight of the evening included the distribution of scholarships by the Thomas W. Woods Memorial Fund in honor of PCTI AOF Instructor Thomas Woods, which awarded $31,000 to twenty-seven students. Among the many scholarship contributors were Lincoln of Wayne, PTSO, Columbia Bank, the PCTI Education Association, and other community and staff contributions, including new benefactors Braen Stone Industries, Peter Spina, and Ida Weisleder.

As has been tradition, seniors were excited when the Foundation selected twelve students at random to receive Apple iPads at the end of the evening. In addition, as the first female in school history to receive the PCCA Female county Athlete of the Year award, Sarah Shannon was also awarded an iPad.

Congratulations to all of PCTI’s Class of 2017 Senior Awards recipients!

Shaila Hasan, Evering Ruiz, Nataly Apolaya, Pooja Nahar, Larry Sosa, Michael Rosario, Joshua Naduparambil, Danta Simmons, Yenny Tavarez, Manan Shah, Maria Corniell, Ronia Khalaifeh, and Sarah Shannon received Apple iPads at the school’s Senior Awards Night event.

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Superior Rating Earns Trip to International Festival A superior rating at the Monologue Event at the NJ Thespian Festival earned Rachel Polzer admittance to the International Festival held in Nebraska. Here she was privy to a week-long immersive experience of singing, dancing, acting, designing, directing, creating, writing, and memory-making.The festival is organized by the Educational Theatre Association and also features workshops presented by theatre pro-fessionals, individual and group performances, programs for technical theatre students, and opportunities to audition for college admission and scholarships.

In addition, Rachel performed a monologue from The Diary of Ann Frank and was joined by her Instructor Lynn Quinn.

Shana’E Walker of the School of Engineering has achieved the fantastic feat of being declared a Scholar Student by the Give Something Back Foundation. The honor ensures Shana’E receives mentorship and scholarships to graduate from a select college in four years, debt free.

She will be paired with a qualified mentor to help her stay on track, reach successive goals, and navigate the complexities of college. In addition, Shana’E is required to retain a 3.0 GPA while in high school, take college preparatory courses, and must demonstrate strong character throughout the duration of the program.

After graduating in 2020 with a background in Pre-Engineering, as well as strong math and science skills, Shana’E will attend one of the following universities – all expenses paid: Montclair State University, NJIT, Rowan University, Saint Peter’s University, TCNJ, or William Paterson University.

Shana’E Walker is joined by Give Back Foundation members Kathleen O’Connor, (Director, Marketing, & Communications) and Joshua Meekins (Program Coordinator), to celebrate her Student Scholar status.

Freshman Secures Debt-Free Education

Golden Trio to Conquer Ivy League

Three students of the Class of 2017 are counted among the best of the

best and will continue their educations at Ivy League universities! Samantha

Carrillo, this year’s salutatorian, will be heading to Harvard to study Physics.

Christopher Valencia will be attending the University of Pennsylvania where

he will enter Biomedical Engineering. Pooja Nahar is bound for Brown and is

interested in the Oncology field and becoming a doctor.

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Seniors were honored by the State Department of Education with the NJ State Seal of Bilteracy – which was established to recognize high school graduates who attained high levels of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more foreign languages. Congratulations to Marifel Duran, Stephanie Perleche, Diana Deonate, Anthony Tejada, Katherine Chavarria, Aurisleirys Rivas, and Karla Taveras!

Seniors Awarded NJ State Seal for Biliteracy

Top Bulldog Makes School HistoryDistance runner Sarah Shannon made PCTI history as the first Passaic County Female Student-Athlete of the Year recipient! She was among three final-ists in the running for the award who were selected from a total of eighteen Passaic County schools.

Sarah’s accolades include earning four varsity letters in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. Her impres-sive speed has earned her five Bulldog records, including those in 5K for cross country, and the indoor and outdoor 1,600 and 3,200 meter marks.

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Receiving NJSCA HonorsQian Zhang’s essay submission to the

New Jersey School Counselor Asso-

ciation has earned her Counselor,

Lauretta Cregar, recognition as one

of the NJSCA’s 2017 High School

Award Nominees! Both student and

counselor were honored at the or-

ganization’s annual awards dinner.

Lauretta Cregar was further

commended for her dedication

and service to students, parents,

educators, and the community,

as well as for promoting the

highest ideals in the school

counseling profession. Qian

Zhang also received a $1,000

scholarship from the NJSCA

for her impressive essay.

With These Remarkab le Ach ievements!

Financed for an Educational Future

Jakub Zarski, graduate of the School of Engineering Technology,

received the Dean’s Merit Scholarship to the University of Dayton!

The award ensures that he receives $15,000 annually towards

his college tuition.

Seniors celebrated prom in style at the Westmount Country Club with a theme heralding romance and possibility. A Night in Paris invited students to dress in their finest fines and to enjoy an evening of dance, food, delight and friendship.

A N i gh t i n Pa r i s

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J U N E S T U D E N T S O F T H E M O N T H

Nirav KinkhabwalaAcademy of Information Technology

Goal: Graduate from NJIT’s Honors College with

double degrees in Mathematics and ComputerScience, pursue a profession in cyber security

and analytics

Kishan RanaAcademy of Finance

Goal: Graduate from Montclair State University with a Bachelor and Master of Science in Accounting, earn a Certified Public

Accounting degree

CO-VALED ICTOR IAN CO-VALED ICTOR IAN

Samantha CarrilloAcademy of Criminal Justice & Public Service

Goal: Graduate from Harvard University

with a Physics degree

SALUTATOR IAN

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The School of Communication Arts once again celebrated an evening praising creativity with the annual art exhibition. This year’s theme, Art Unexpected, exemplified that art is all around us and influences every area of our lives. Imaginative works from Graphic Arts, Advertising Art & Design, and Video Production were presented.

The event was held throughout all three floors of Lambert’s Castle and boasted an ambiance of elegance replete with food and music, both presented by PCTI’s very own School of Culinary Arts and School of Performing Arts students. An interactive element was added to the show when theatre students engaged with guests and provided knowledgeable fun facts that enriched the event.

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Lincoln of Wayne “Driven to Give”PCTI’s Education Foundation partnered with Lincoln of Wayne for the “Driven to Give” initiative, an opportunity that allows $8,000 in funds to be raised for future scholarships for members of the Bulldog family. More than 325 faculty and staff got behind the wheels of Lincoln vehicles to ensure the cause was a success!

Thank you to Peter Spina Jr., General Manager of Lincoln of Wayne, and his team for sponsoring an event that will enrich the educational endeavors of students and teachers.

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PCTI’s LPN Day Program celebrates the Capping Ceremony with their instructors.

Nurses Ready for Training

Passaic County Technical Institute re-cently celebrated sixty-three years of the Licensed Practical Nursing program with the annual Capping Ceremonies. Both the Day and Evening programs received their caps and pins and will soon begin their hospital training.

Circle of Success

Congratulations to Circle of Success Marking Period 4 members!

MAY ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Thomas Laskowksi & Carly Spinnler

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Senior athletes celebrated their incredible accomplishments at PCTI’s Athletic Awards Night. This year saw the introduction of a new honor, the Four-Year Varsity Award, which was presented to student-athletes who earned a Varsity letter in each of their athletic seasons. Other distinctions included the Multi-Sport Award, NJTAC Male & Female Scholar Athlete Award, NJSIAA Scholar Athlete Award, the Big North Conference Student-Athlete Award, PCCA Student- Athlete Nominations, the Gold & Silver Bulldog Awards, PCTI’s Male and Female Athlete of the Year, and more.

Notable Achievement: For the first time in school history, a young woman from PCTI was selected as the PCCA Female County Athlete of the Year. The honor goes to none other than Sarah Shannon!

Congratulations to all senior athletes on their outstanding accomplishments!

HONOR ING SEN IOR ATHLETES

Congratulations to all senior-athletes who signed to play sports at their future universities during this year’s National Signing Day!

Celebrating An Athletic Future

Sarah Shannon receives the PCCA Female County Athlete of the Year distinction from Athletic Director Nic Nese.

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PaidPaterson, NJ

Permit No. 1182

Passaic County Technical InstitutePassaic County’s National Award-Winning Public High School for Academics, Careers & Technology45 Reinhardt Road, Wayne NJ 07470(973) 790-6000 www.pcti.tec.nj.us

Students of the PCTI community came together in an impactful way during this year’s first ever Charity Day – a time when clubs and organizations advocated for their favorite philanthropic groups. The event encouraged staff and students to purchase charity dollars for donation purposes. Getting in on the action were PCTI’s Book Club, GSA, HOSA, Tech Tone Choir Sign Language Club, Environmental Club, Sound Chasers, ERASE, History Club, World Language Club, FBLA, NHS, and many more. Donations from the PCTI community exceeded an outstanding $3,500!

Spectacular Charity for Noble Causes

PCTI BOARD OF EDUCATIONAlbert A. Alexander, PresidentDamaris M. Solomon, Vice PresidentRobert Davis, Commissioner / Acting Executive SuperintendentGlenn L. Brown, CommissionerMichael Coscia, CommissionerMae Remer, Board SecretaryGerald S. Keegan, Board Counsel Albert C. Buglione, Board Counsel

PCTI ADMINISTRATIONDiana C. Lobosco, Chief School AdministratorJohn F. Maiello, Assistant Superintendent Michael R. Parent, PrincipalRichard J. Giglio, Business Administrator

BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERSCassandra “Sandi” Lazzara, Freeholder DirectorBruce James, Freeholder Deputy DirectorAssad Akhter, FreeholderJohn W. Bartlett, FreeholderTheodore “TJ” Best, FreeholderTerry Duffy, FreeholderPat Lepore, Freeholder

PCTI “TECHNICIAN” STAFFSandra M. Woods, Director of Communications & Special Projects / Editor Michele M. De Vincentis, Writer / PhotographerLayout, design and printing, PCTI Graphic ArtsInstructors: Fernando Colón & Luis ColónPCTI School of Communication Arts © 2017