Skip to main content

Poughkeepsie City School District

Together, We are Champions for Children in Poughkeepsie City Schools

Five from PCSD celebrate at BOCES’ Resilience Academy graduation

Posted Date: 07/01/26 (03:34 PM)
View Original Post


Five students from the Poughkeepsie City School District were among those honored during the Resilience Academy’s Graduation Day Ceremony and Celebration June 24.
The Dutchess BOCES program’s event encompassed 32 graduates, including those who completed in-district programs.
Prior to the students receiving their diplomas and moving the tassels on their caps from right to left, they heard many words of inspiration, including from two fellow graduates from Poughkeepsie, Mari Ruiz-Hernandez and Alexandra Varble.
Varble described Resilience Academy, BOCES’ alternative high school, as a second home. Though time has flown, she said, the class still has the majority of their lives to take the world by storm and explore opportunities that await them.
“You have all the time in the world and then some, so take a minute to stop and to reflect, slow down and stop to smell the flowers,” Varble said. “You may feel that you haven’t accomplished much so far, but that’s only because you haven’t lived enough of your life yet to be able to see what you are fully capable of.”
Guest speaker Heather Ann Pitcher, CEO and Founder of the Brain and Body Coalition, noted that the school’s name made her think about how the word resilience has been part of her journey, as it helped her overcome obstacles to start her organization.
“Resilience is not a destination; it’s a journey, each person defines it differently,” Pitcher said. “Resilience is often born from challenge … it develops when things do not go according to plan.”
In addition to Varble and Ruiz-Hernandez, Poughkeepsie’s Cameron Davis, Alexander Rivera and Jordan Terry celebrated graduation.
Ruiz-Hernandez earned an award from the Dutchess BOCES Faculty Association at the ceremony. A member of BOCES’ PEACCE Program hosted at Red Hook High School, Ruiz-Hernandez also walked in that school’s graduation June 20.
Dutchess BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Jodi DeLucia said that when she “looks across this room, I don’t just see graduates. I see stories. Each of you has your own story. Your own journey. Your own experiences that brought you to this moment.”