This year, Dutchess BOCES distributed an animated holiday card that featured a drawing of the central building on its 5 Boces Road campus in Poughkeepsie, with snow falling and a jingle playing in the background.
Poughkeepsie High School senior Marree Bennett, a Graphic Arts and Design student in BOCES’ Career and Technical Institute, drew and designed the card.
Marree said she was “surprised” by the selection. “I didn’t think my card would get picked out of my classmates. … I didn’t think it would get distributed so widely and I’m honestly quite honored.”
After it was picked, Marree worked with BOCES’ graphic designer Desiree Gagnon, who polished and animated the final version. “When I saw how she made it come to life, I was in awe, genuinely,” Maree said.
“I’ve always had a passion for graphic design, since I was like 12 or 13,” she said.
Roughly five dozen Poughkeepsie students each year take part in the Career and Technical Institute, traveling to the BOCES campus in the first half of each school day to receive specialized instruction in a specific field. The goal is to be positioned for employment right out of high school or to have a head start on a collegiate-level program.
Marree plans to attend Dutchess Community College after graduation to pursue art and photography. She said she “absolutely loves” the BOCES program, crediting her teacher there, Stephen Lawson, “for teaching me and guiding me through on how to be a successful designer.”