20 Students Graduate From HFM PTECH With Dual Degrees

Twenty students from nine Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery area school districts earned high school diplomas and associate degrees Wednesday, May 21, at a ceremony held at the Rao Theater on the SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College campus.

The graduates completed the six-year Pathways in Technology Early College High School program, which combines high school coursework with college classes and workplace experiences. Students earned associate degrees from either SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College or SUNY Cobleskill tuition-free.

Michael Feldman, recruitment manager at The Arc Lexington, delivered the keynote address. "You don't need the whole plan," he told graduates. "You just need a starting point. Take what you've built here, go put it to use, and see where it takes you."

Giovanni Schaffer, a Greater Amsterdam School District student, addressed his classmates. "This is not our final goodbye, this is our first greeting to the world as adults," he said.

Thirteen students earned associate degrees from SUNY Fulton-Montgomery: Samantha Allen, Mackenzie Barkley, Alanea Geweye, Nora Meyer, Caitlin Olsen, Anthony Otto, Cameron Pigott, Parker Powers, Patrick Richmond, Giovanni Schaffer, Samantha Seydi, Christopher Szabo, and Lucas Tate-Pettit.

Seven students earned associate degrees from SUNY Cobleskill: Giana Cross, Jamie Danforth, Emma Flores, Katana Gonzalez, Mason Rathbun, Heather Romaine, and Zachary Young.