McCann Postsecondary Graduates Ready for CareersBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
09:30PM / Monday, June 13, 2016 | |
 Emilie Hart dances from the McCann Technical School gym after graduating from the cosmetology program on Monday night. |
Elizabeth Church, a SkillsUSA gold medalist, is greeted by well-wishers after the graduating in dental assisting. See more photos here.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It's the final graduation each spring, and also the fastest.
That's because these graduates don't need encouragement for an uncertain future, or long speeches about fond memories.
The 27 women in McCann Technical School's postsecondary program on Monday knew what they wanted when they started in September. And they're ready to get to work — right now.
Hailey Burke of Cheshire received her diploma and pin in dental assisting on Monday night and will be in Pittsfield on Tuesday working in the office of Dr. Natalya Yantovsky.
"I just like the dental field, it's what I want to do," she said. Burke had started studying as a dental hygienist but ended up at McCann, liking assisting better.
It was a hard course, she said. "But Michelle [Racette] is a good teacher, she's tough but she's awesome."
Elizabeth Church of Adams, who scored a gold medal at the SkillsUSA state competition in dental assisting, also has a job lined up in Pittsfield.
She was working at Burger King when her dental hygienist brought up the idea of her seeking a new career in the dentistry field.
"I looked into it and found I liked it, took the course and graduated," she said, juggling a handful of balloons and bouquets after the ceremonies. "I'm really excited."
For Emilie Hart of North Adams, taking the cosmetology course resulted in a promotion: manager of the spa at the Hermitage Club in Wilmington, Vt.
"I was a massage therapist there before and then when I had even more to offer, they asked me if would run it," she said. "I'm pretty excited."
As to why she decided on the McCann program: "I just want to keep learning, in these fields you can never stop and the more knowledge I have the better I'll do."
Superintendent James Brosnan joked that it may have been difficult for the graduates — seven in cosmetology, 10 in dental assisting, and five each in medical assisting and surgical technology — to imagine in September that they'd ever reach this day.
"You've worked extremely hard all year," he said. "You have made all of us proud and, since you're going to be taking care of all of us in the future, we appreciate the fact that you did so."
The certificates were awarded by School Committee Chairman Thomas Mahar, Brosnan and Principal Justin Kratz, with the department heads pinning their respective graduates.
Assistant Principal Keith Daigneault presented the SkillsUSA state competition winners: Church and Hart (interview) both took gold; Amanda Bush, silver in dental assisting and Nicole Superneau silver in cosmetology more than 500 hours; and Haley Carson took bronze for dental assisting.
Hailey Burke, center, starts her new job at a dentist's office on Tuesday.
Daigneault also presented three scholarships. Alisha Bourdon of Adams, a dental assisting graduate, received the Adams Mountain Club Scholarship and Megan Heppleston of Lee, also in dental assisting, received the Sharon Ferguson Memorial Scholarship.
Samantha Cristofori of Westhampton received the third annual Jamie Sacchetti Drennan Memorial Scholarship in surgical technology. Drennan, a 1981 graduate of the school, had worked at Berkshire Medical Center for 31 years and was given a lifetime achievement award in 2012.
Mahar, in his remarks on behalf of the School Committee, gave some advice to the graduates that he hoped they would consider.
"You have achieved a degree that will be a foundation for your future, you worked hard to get here and you should take the time to thank the people who helped you achieve your goal," he said.
"Participate in life, real life, not just your phone or your social media, but face to face communications, you will be surprised how helpful peope can be or what you can learn from them."
He told them to be honest, to take responsibility for their actions, that "no task is too small not to give it your best" and to accept what life throws at them.
"How you handle life's frustrations will define your character," he said. "If you think you can, you can; if you think you can't, think again."
The graduates are:
Dental Assisting
Megan Blanchard, Adams
Alisha Bourdon, Adams
Hailey Burke, Cheshire
Amanda Bush, North Adams
Haley Carson, Clarksburg
Elizabeth Church, Adams
Taylor Durant, Cheshire
Christina Furness, Pittsfield
Megan Heppleston, Lee
Jeslyn Stachura, Adams
Cosmetology
Heather Bourassa, Cheshire
Nicole Gingras, Dalton
Emilie Hart, North Adams
Katrina Maynard, Clarksburg
Chelsey Ogert, North Adams
Mikaela Sadlow, Windsor
Nicole Superneau, North Adams
Medical Assisting
Jacklyn Arnold, North Adams
Brittany Bradbury, Savoy
Kristine Cahoon, North Adams
Carrie Clement, Cheshire
Agneal Quinones, North Adams
Surgical Technology
Samantha Cristofori, Westhampton
Elizabeth Dionne, Savoy
Sarah Engle, Lanesborough
Arielle Poirot, North Adams
Randi Therrien, Pittsfield
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