Fifty-one seniors from across all 10 school districts in the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES region recently celebrated the completion of their internships with local businesses through the Herkimer BOCES School to Careers Advanced Career Immersion Experience.
The School to Careers office hosted the 10th annual ACIE completion ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer.
During the capstone event, students spoke about their internship placements, their mentors and how their experiences in these real-world workplace settings informed their post-secondary college decisions. The students expressed feeling better prepared with the skills and knowledge they need to start their next steps on the road to a successful career.
Herkimer BOCES School to Careers Coordinator and Work-Based Learning Coordinator MaryBeth Napolitano, Herkimer BOCES School to Careers Liaison Sarah Crowe, Herkimer BOCES District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson and Herkimer BOCES Director of Adult Education and Instructional Support Services Ruth Leavitt provided remarks during the ACIE completion ceremony.
The School to Careers team members expressed their thanks to ACIE’s “amazing mentors for their willingness to educate and inspire these students.”
During the Ceremony, mentors Bill Kardas of WKTV, Mike Fitzgerald of Indium Corp. and Stacey DiGiorgio of RMPT & SPI Fitness spoke about the powerful role of internships. They emphasized how internships shape the next generation of professionals, bridging classroom learning with real-world experience and fostering a culture of collaboration, leadership and continuous learning.
The mentors recalled their own beginnings as interns, understanding firsthand the impact of being welcomed and guided in a real workplace setting. They noted that supporting young interns is a vital investment – not just in the interns' growth, confidence and career readiness, but also in the strength of the organization. They expressed that interns invigorate teams by bringing fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, curiosity and a willingness to learn, often inspiring teams to reflect, adapt and grow alongside them.
If you’re ready to get involved and are interested in becoming a mentor or supporting career exploration programs, please email MaryBeth Napolitano at mnapolitano@herkimer-boces.org.
2025-26 ACIE interns
The following students from each school district completed internships through the 2025-26 ACIE program:
Central Valley: Madelyn Spatto and Meredith Vandawalker.
Dolgeville: Erika Avery, Lillian Bladek, Olivia Lyon and Kaydence Mosenthin.
Frankfort-Schuyler: Thomas Eck, Giavanna Kaleta, Raegan Migliore, Isabella Paragi and Emma Tripple.
Herkimer: Marguerite Bray, Victoria Brinkerhoff, Aleah Chabrier, Arthur Dadello, Vadim Donets, Isabella Filipczuk, Rylee Hisert, Sarah Huyck, Anna Marquissee, Havonna White and Alexander Yudchits.
Little Falls: Gianna Almaviva, Madison Emery, Rebecca Hauser, Marlee Lockwood, Nalla Luczynski-Perch, Lucas Manley and Jenna Palmer.
Mount Markham: Zain Abanatha, Esther Brutsky, Kiera Dominowski, Avery Dye, Alexandria Graziano, Maisie Lemieux and Jacqueline Terns.
Owen D. Young: Riley Constantinetis and Vera Korol.
Poland: Grace Grems, Amelia Guarascio, Grace Mcowen, Ariel Pope, Angelina Vauruk and Ashley Waterman.
Richfield Springs: Gabrielle Seamon, Isabelle Seamon and Sophia Spencer.
West Canada Valley: Reigan Foster, Katherine Gorinshek, Madalyn Gross and Holly Reinhardt.
Herkimer BOCES School to Careers is a partnership developed by Herkimer BOCES among schools and businesses in the greater Mohawk Valley region with a goal of connecting students to jobs in the area through a diversified approach of exploration including workshops, internships, partnerships and planning. STC focuses on creating real-world work connections for students – allowing them a chance to experience meaningful preparation and application of 21st century workplace skills.
Some of the local students who completed internships through the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES School to Careers program’s Advanced Career Immersion Experience this school year pose together during the ACIE completion ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer. View more photos on the Herkimer BOCES Facebook page at www.facebook.com/herkimerboces.
WKTV meteorologist Bill Kardas, who served as a mentor for the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES School to Careers program’s Advanced Career Immersion Experience, speaks during the ACIE completion ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer. Herkimer BOCES School to Careers Liaison Sarah Crowe (left) and Indium Corp. Supplier Quality Manager Mike Fitzgerald (right), who was also a mentor and spoke at the event, look on as Kardas speaks. View more photos on the Herkimer BOCES Facebook page at www.facebook.com/herkimerboces.