Four graduating seniors earned Humanities awards
On June 2, 32 high school seniors from school districts in the Orange-Ulster BOCES region — including four from the Cornwall and Highlands communities — who have distinguished themselves in the arts and humanities during their high school careers were honored for their significant achievement.
The students were feted at the Senior Scholar Humanities Honoree Ceremony held at Goshen High School’s Coliseum. The event was coordinated by the Orange-Ulster BOCES Division of Instructional Support.
The Cornwall High School students who were honored were Joshua Sandler and Kaitlyn Dugan. The O’Neill students who were honored were Claire Kobylski and Justus Crow.
The students, their parents, high school principals, superintendents, and BOCES administration were invited to celebrate the students’ outstanding accomplishments in the fine arts, theater, music, fashion and jewelry design.
The keynote speaker for the event was Aurora Robson, a multi-media artist known predominantly for her meditative work intercepting the plastic waste stream. Her practice is about subjugating negativity and shifting trajectories. She has exhibited her work internationally in museums, galleries and non-traditional spaces since 2002. Robson is also the founding artist of Project Vortex, an international collective of artists, designers and architects who work in innovative ways with plastic debris.
She advised the student artists to follow their bliss, be kind and to let their bliss guide them. “Having the ability to share your bliss, share your light and make more light is a gift,” she said.
In the commemorative program for the event, BOCES Chief Operating Officer William J. Hecht wrote: “We are very proud of your accomplishments and are delighted to honor and celebrate you. Whether you have distinguished yourself in literature, language, philosophy, visual arts, theater, dance, or music, your devotion and passion to these timeless, foundational subjects say great things about your character. We wish you a bright future.”
Josh Sandler
Sandler is a proud member of nine clubs at Cornwall Central High School. He is the president of the National Honor Society and one of two student representatives to the Board of Education. He has been a member of and is now the vice president of the drama club, and has received three Best Leading Actor Awards at CCHS. Sandler is also the co-president of an all-male acapella group Treble-in-Paradise, and a former member of concert choir. He has played the cello since 4th grade, and has participated in countless All-County, NYSSMA, and other music festivals, as well as Area-All State for chorus and All-State for Chorus this past year.
Kaitlyn Dugan
Dugan will be attending Marist College. majoring in digital media with a concentration in graphic design. She also plans on pursuing video production and communications. After graduation, she hopes to work as either a graphic designer or production designer.
Dugan has contributed immensely to the Cornwall community. She is currently the student secretary of the Parent Teacher Student Organization, a committee chair of the National Honor Society, a team captain of the varsity softball team, and is a member of the varsity girls tennis team, yearbook club, and spirit club. Throughout high school, she has won and placed in many visual art competitions such as the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and has participated in several exhibitions for her artwork throughout Orange County.
Claire Kobylski
Kobylski will continue her education at Northeastern University in Boston. She is excited to explore her academic interests in the Northeastern Honors Program and the Bouvé College of Health Sciences.
Among her many activities at O’Neill, Kobylski loves performing in musicals, the women’s choir, and select choir. After participating in the NYSSMA Solo Festival, she was selected to perform in Zone 9’s Area-All State Choir, the New York All-State Choir, and the American Choral Directors Association All-Eastern Choir during her junior year. As a senior, she performed in the virtual New York All-State Choir and the National Association for Music Education All-Eastern Honor Ensemble. Kobylski finds joy in making music with others and is looking forward to keeping music in her life.
Justus Crow
Crow will be attending Ithaca College, continuing his studies on saxophone as a music education major. Crow is currently a saxophonist in his high school band, as well as a tenor in the select choir.
He is also an active participant in O’Neill’s drama club as well as a member of the men’s choir. Outside of O’Neill, Crow has been a member of the Hudson Valley Honors Band and has participated in multiple NYSSMA festivals.
