Groton’s early college high school students meet with success

Four years ago, Groton Jr./Sr. High School (GHS) was awarded an Early College High School (ECHS) grant of $825,000 to enhance its college and career readiness program. It was one of eight districts in New York state to be awarded the grant that year, and GHS’s first cohort of 27 students have met with great success as they prepare to graduate this year.

Those 27 students collectively earned over 1,700 college credits through Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3). Twenty-one earned an associate degree and have already graduated at no cost to them, and 23 of the total will attend college this fall, with the rest entering the workforce.

At a special event on May 13, the ECHS students were honored, with their families, teachers, administrators and members of the board of education present to celebrate their success with them. Babs Carr, ECHS coordinator and STEAM college and career prep teacher at GHS, opened the evening with special remarks.

“As I was thinking back over the past four years, I could not believe how quickly time has gone,” Carr said. “I feel like it was just yesterday that I was learning what ECHS was and how I was going to put the program in order. I enjoyed being able to be in a classroom and teach as well as put on workshops, take field trips and meet individually with students to talk about what they wanted to do when they graduated.”

Although they still have their Groton Class of 2024 graduation ahead of them on June 21, the ECHS students all have a plan for their next step in life. Those who have already graduated from TC3 on May 21 have shared those plans as follows.

Reagan Allen will attend Buffalo State University, majoring in speech-language pathology. Aiden Avery will attend Rochester Institute of Technology for cybersecurity. Delaney Ayer will study psychology and business at SUNY Brockport. James Berry will enter the workforce. Brynn Blasz will stay local at Ithaca College, carrying a dual major in film and business. Caitlin Bodary will also not be far from home as she attends SUNY Cortland for conservation biology. Rochester Institute of Technology will also welcome Drew Bush as he majors in mechanical engineering technology. Michaela Canady will attend SUNY Potsdam, majoring in art education. Jadyn Craig plans to enter the workforce and is hoping to find a position at Cornell University.

Elizabeth (Elly) Dykeman will attend the State University at Albany for biology and preveterinary studies. Nicholas Gamel (GHS Class of 2024 salutatorian) will attend the State University of Buffalo to study environmental science. Julia Garcia plans to attend Ithaca College in its Music Production/Park Pathways program. Taryn LaTray will also attend the State University at Buffalo for nursing. Sharla Lockwood and Carter Naginey will both be at SUNY Cortland, with majors in biology and exercise science, respectively. Madalyn Perkins will attend SUNY Oswego for accounting and business administration.

Lia Perreault will study early childhood education at SUNY Brockport. Devin Portzline will head to Alfred State University for digital media & animation. John Sanford will join some of his ECHS peers at Rochester Institute of Technology, studying mechanical engineering. Abigail Sill will be enrolled in the nursing program at St. John Fisher University. Jaden Wolf (GHS Class of 2024 valedictorian) will attend Cornell University, majoring in biological sciences.

Although not earning an associate degree, Emily Cargian, Megan Cute, Nick Hall, Sandra Peer, Jeannette Thomas-Brown and Jacob Zigenfus make up the remainder of this first ECHS cohort of students. All have earned college credits and have clear future plans. Stay tuned for these and the remainder of the Class of 2024 students in an upcoming graduation issue of this column at the end of June!  

“I will truly miss seeing all of you and talking to you every day in the halls or at meetings and on trips,” Carr said. “I got to watch you enter high school and follow you all the way up through. I feel like we kind of grew together as this program was hatched four years ago. You are all ‘my kids,’ and I am looking forward to seeing where life will take all of you and what your futures hold.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

Still space in some free summer programs!

Farm Camp: Fourth through seventh graders will enjoy a week at Daisy Hollow Farm in Dryden, where participants will learn about animal husbandry and farm life and have outdoor adventures from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily July 1-5 (but not July 4), with transportation to and from Groton Jr./Sr. High School.

Kindness Club: Second through fifth graders will have a great time with Miss Love and Miss Swenson making friendship bracelets, doing good deeds around town and more. A variety of sessions run July 8 through Aug. 5 at Groton Jr./Sr. High School, 400 Peru Rd.

Water, Wind, and Waves: Students nine years old and up can learn how to kayak, sail, paddleboard and windsail on Cayuga Lake the week of July 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with transportation to and from Groton Jr./Sr. High School.

There is something for everyone this summer at GCS through the 21st Century grant! Learn more at groton.recdesk.com, but hurry because space is limited. All programs are free for Groton residents.

Clams are back at the Legion

Thursday Grill Nights at the Groton American Legion Post 800 are from 5 to 7 p.m. weekly and are open to everyone. It’s a nice way to get out and enjoy a reasonably priced meal, prepared and served by volunteers, with all of the profits going to the post. Clams will be available on the menu beginning May 30 for $10 per dozen. Call 607-898-3837 to preorder.

Regular menu items include Hofmann’s hot dogs (with or without sauerkraut), Gianelli’s hot or sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions, Angus sirloin hamburgers, cheeseburgers, bacon cheeseburgers and an assortment of homemade sides and desserts.

Adult softball league

Groton Recreation will offer an adult softball league on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. in July and August. Games will be held in Groton and Dryden. Registration fee is $50 per team. Email recreation@grotonny.org for more information.