Zachery L. Alderman, *Samantha Jean Bentley, †*Erin Beth Berschwinger, Cheri A. Bink, Thomas Scott Burdick, Jr., Timothy E. Chaudoin, Halie Nicole Cormier, Megan Leigh Davies, †Kelsey Demick, Emily Alida Dooley, Michael J. Drogos, Carley Elizabeth Furcinite, *Janelle Lauren Gazelone, Erin Marie Goyer, *Samantha Lynn Grant, Tiaira M. Greene, Jennifer L. Gundrum, *Tyler A. Hake, †*Kayla H. Hawk, Richard J. Hebert, Anthony J. Hindes, Tyler L. Hoffman, Ann Marie Houle, Jessie Jacobs, Nathaniel Jestes, Laura M. Jones, Teri I. Jones, Tiffany E. Kellar, Chadd R. Kiablick, Joseph E. Kiablick, Kyle G. Kormos, Mary Elizabeth Lane, Marissa Kari Levsha, Dylan Lozinski, Jennie Leigh Mather, Amanda
Lynne Monk, †*Victoria Elizabeth Muller, †*Deanna Marie Nash, Jared Nelson, †*Jordon Rathbun, Catherine V. Rawlings, *Michelle Ann Schleimer, Daniel Scott, *Justin M. Shorter, Vanessa Small, Kalee Edith Stata, Kyah M. Stevens, Bethany Noelle Strock, Racheal Thomas, Rianna Katherine VanEmburgh, †*Shawn Douglas Vasilatos, Katarina Z. Walters (absent – photo inset), †*Drew Dixon Webster, Shawn Tyler Willis
†National Honor Society Member *Honor Student
Berlin Scholarships & Awards
Brian E. Suslak, President and CEO of W.J. Cowee LLC presented the W.J. Cowee Award to Kelsey Demick, Kayla Hawk, Deanna Nash and Drew Webster
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Fire Chief William Osterhout and Rescue Squad Captain Tammy Osterhout
presented the Berlin Rescue Squad Wilma Anderson Memorial Scholarship to Tiffany Kellar
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Steven Mellor presented the Berlin Jr./Sr. High School Dollars for Scholars Scholarship Awards to Shawn Willis and Emily Dooley
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Katie Fiske presented the Petersburgh Fire Department Cindy Harrison Memorial Scholarship to Jennifer Gundrum
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The Edith Grace Craig Reynolds Scholarship is awarded to a Berlin High School graduate who is pursuing higher education, has performed well academically, has a strong work ethic and is involved in community service. The 2010 recipient is Deanna Nash
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The Norma Lewis Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Berlin High School graduates who have enrolled in an accredited college program. The 2010 recipients are Erin Berschwinger and Janelle Gazelone
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The Ruth B. Canfield Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a member of the graduating class who has achieved the highest grade point average and who is continuing his/her education. The 2010 recipient is Deanna Nash
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The Taylor Trust Fund Scholarship is awarded to a Berlin High School graduate entering a university within the State of New York. The 2010 recipient is Bethany Strock
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The Kjelsen (Kelson) Trust Fund Scholarship is awarded to a Berlin High
School graduate entering a university within the State of New York. The 2010 recipient is Victoria Muller
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The Lester T. Russell Scholarship is awarded to a graduating Senior living in the Berlin Central School District and enrolled in a two or four year accredited college in the field of engineering and/or business. The 2010 recipient is Deanna Nash
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The William J. Kinn Scholarship is awarded to the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the graduating class. The 2010 recipients are Deanna Nash and Drew Webster
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The Berlin Central School Staff/Student Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a Berlin High School graduate who has worked to the best of his/her ability and does not necessarily rank at the top of the graduating class; to a graduate who desires to further his/her education either academically or technically; and to a graduate who has been courteous and considerate of others. The 2010 recipient is Janelle Gazelone
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The Barbara Horton Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a current graduate of Berlin High School pursuing a career in the education field. The 2010 recipient is Tiaira Greene
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The Fred & Pat Organ Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an exceptional Berlin High
School senior enrolled in post high school education. The senior who receives this award exemplifies the interests and values of Fred & Pat Organ as evidenced by concern for others and contribution to the school community. The 2010 recipient is Shawn Willis
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The John Laws Memorial Scholarship commemorates one of Berlin Central School District’s outstanding faculty members. It is given to a student who is planning a career in teaching or human service. The 2010 recipient is Victoria Muller
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The Dorothy I. Gutermuth Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a Berlin High School graduate who is continuing his/her education and who demonstrates a strong work ethic. The 2010 recipient is Erin Berschwinger
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The Frances Palmer Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a Berlin High School graduate enrolled in a two or four year accredited college entering the education field, especially teaching. The 2010 recipient is Shawn Willis
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The Taconic Valley Garden Club Scholarship is awarded to a graduate enrolled in a two or four year college with a major in Earth Science, Agriculture, Horticulture, Conservation or Environmental Science,
Farming or Biology. The 2010 recipient is Erin Berschwinger
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The Berlin Jr/Sr High School PTO Award is presented to a graduate who has attended Berlin Jr/Sr High School for two years and participated in the Music Program; done community service work within the school; or has been involved in the interscholastic sports program. The 2010 recipients are Erin Berschwinger, Deanna Nash and Shawn Willis
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The Frost Hollow Scholarship, founded by Janet Bradley, a retired BCS Science teacher, is awarded to a senior enrolled in a four year college or university with an intended major in education, with special consideration given to a science/math major. The 2010 recipient is Erin Berschwinger
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The Grafton Men’s Club award is given to a graduating Senior from Grafton
continuing on to college or military service. The 2010 recipient is Erin Goyer
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Berlin Central School CSEA Education Award was presented to Jennifer Gundrum
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The Knights of Pythias Award was presented to Emily Dooley
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The Capital District School Boards Association Community Services Award was presented to Samantha Grant
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The Albany and Troy Lions Club Citizenship Award was presented to Victoria Muller
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The Stanton P. Hull Berlin Alumni Association Citizenship Award was presented to Erin Berschwinger and Shawn Willis
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The United States Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award was presented to Erin Berschwinger and Shawn Willis
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The United States Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award was presented to Emily Dooley and Jordan Rathbun
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The United States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award was presented to Deanna Nash
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The American Red Cross High School Challenge Award was presented to Kelsey Demick
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The School Systems Federal Credit Union Award was presented to Shawn Vasilatos
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The DAR Good Citizen Scholarship was presented to Shawn Vasilatos
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The Business & Marketing Educators’ Assoc. of the Capital District
Outstanding Business Student Award was presented to Jennifer Gundrum
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The Perfect Attendance Award was presented to Justin Shorter
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The New York State Comptroller Achievement Award was presented to Samantha Bentley
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The Questar III Automotive Services Achievement Award was presented to Dylan Lozinski
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The Questar III Early Childhood Education Achievement Award was presented to Tiffany Kellar
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The Questar III Construction Technology Craftsmanship Award was presented to Chadd Kiablick
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The Questar III Construction Technology Achievement Award was presented to Joseph Kiablick
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The Questar III Two Year Honor Roll Award was presented to Tiffany Kellar
Department Key Awards
Art Department Key for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Performance to Victoria Muller
Business Department Key for Academic Excellence to Jennifer Gundrum
English Department Key for Academic Excellence to Victoria Muller and Drew Webster
English Department Key for Outstanding Performance to Kayla Hawk
Math Department Key for Academic Excellence to Deanna Nash
Science Department Key for Outstanding Performance to Deanna Nash
Drama Department Key for Outstanding Performance to Tyler Hake, Anthony Hindes and Ann Marie Houle
Physical Education Department Key for Outstanding Performance to Erin Berschwinger and Shawn Willis
Social Studies Department Key for Outstanding Performance to Drew Webster
Technology Department Key for Academic Excellence to Tyler Hake
Technology Department Key for Outstanding Performance to Jordon Rathbun
Berlin Valedictory
by Deanna Nash
Good Evening:
Eartha Kitt once said, “I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.” At this point in our lives and after 13 years of education, we certainly cannot say that we haven’t learned anything. On the other hand, we cannot pretend we have learned everything. Throughout our school years, everyone on this stage has grown into an exceptional adult thanks to
hard work, determination, and a little fun. We have been gaining knowledge for the past 18 years and I would like to share some things I’ve learned from an excellent movie of our generation with all of you. This film is The Lion King, and it has taught me three very important lessons.
First and foremost, The Lion King showed me that the people surrounding us have an immense impact on our lives. Since Kindergarten, we’ve been influenced by teachers, coaches, and mentors. They have been our own personal Rafikis, who is the monkey with the blue butt in case some of you forgot. Rafiki taught Simba and allowed him to discover the truth without forcing him in a certain direction. The people in our lives have taught us not only from textbooks and playbooks, but they also draw from their own
experiences to guide us down the right path. From our first day in elementary school or first time on a soccer field, they have affected our development and growth in amazing ways. Also, our families have supported us our entire lives. They have helped us survive all the bumps and bruises that we had to endure to make it to this stage and I know we are all forever grateful for that. If The Lion King taught me one thing about parents, it is that we are more like them than we realize, and sometimes we have more in common than I would ever want to admit. Mufasa and Sarabi always supported Simba, even in times of trouble. Our parents have led us from diapers to diplomas, and although we may not say it enough, we have appreciated their love and encouragement since day one. Finally, we have our friends. Whether they are lifelong friends, like Nala, or more recent ones, like Timon and Pumba, they are always there for a laugh or a hug. Our friends have shared times of joy, sadness, craziness, and calm with us. My friends have always had my back, rain or shine, and I can’t imagine going through life’s experiences without them.
Now, another lesson that The Lion King has taught me is how to handle the past. Although our pasts are mostly filled with long school days and spending time with friends and family, moments have included the good and bad, happiness and regret, success and failure. I’ve found that there are two pieces of advice from the characters of this movie that can be very useful in dealing with the past. When Rafiki is teaching Simba about the past he says “You can either run from it or learn from it.” In order to prevent repeating history, we must all learn from what we have done and what others have done before us. This is how we shall continue learning after our formal education is complete. And even though we must learn from the past, we cannot dwell on it. Sometimes, we’ve got to say “Hakuna Matata” and put our behinds in the past. “Hakuna Matata” is a wonderful phrase. “’Hakuna Matata’ ain’t no passing craze. It means no worries, for the rest of your days. It’s our problem free philosophy. ‘Hakuna Matata.’”
Lastly, I suggest that we all do as a young Simba would. We should walk on the wild side and laugh in the face of danger. Take advantage of opportunities that arise in front of you. Feel free to take chances. If you make mistakes, learn from them and put them behind you. I would like each of you to remember this Wayne Gretzky quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” In life, shoot for your dreams. In soccer, aim for the lower right corner.
Good Luck. Congratulations Class of 2010. Thank you.
Berlin Salutatory
by Drew Webster
First off, congratulations class of 2010. It is an honor to be standing in front of everyone today and I’d like to apologize before I begin if my speech is a little shaky. For my entire high school career I did everything possible to be third in the class so that way I wouldn’t have to stand here and you know… talk… but I ended up with this responsibility. Unfortunately I’m
not that responsible and I treated this speech like all the homework assignments I’ve ever had and decided to wait until the last possible minute to do it. Well, that isn’t completely true. I did have a very short speech written a few days ago but I woke up this morning and I thought about it and realized that it was pretty bad. Everybody knows how feelings change from one day to the next. Well mine decided to do a complete u-turn on me in my sleep. I don’t know if it was just like… crap… l have to say this in front of people today? I mean, standing in front of everyone wearing this dress and a geometrically shaped hat with a cat toy dangling from it is humiliating enough but on top of that I have to speak. And what do I speak about? I can’t just say the same things that have been repeated over and over year after year.
So this afternoon I was freaking out about what I should write about, wondering why in the world I didn’t think about this until today. I was frantically typing ideas onto my computer. Somewhere along the line I stopped caring about being inspirational and I began reminiscing. I thought about the earliest memories…walking into Grafton Elementary for the first time and just bursting into tears. I broke down right in the doorway where Mrs. Roberts found me and brought me to Ms. Lucy’s where I saw Deanna. Deanna was the only person that I really knew at the time and she was my first friend. So seeing someone I knew helped calm me down. I thought of recesses, where my best friend at the time Scott and I would pretend to be whatever we wanted to be… we would often pretend to be part of fight scenes from our favorite movies and I remember Zach would always volunteer to be the bad guy…looking back at the now Zach, it’s kind of scary how excited you were to try and destroy me and Scott. There was the changing of schools from Grafton to Berlin Elementary which I wasn’t a big fan of. If I had the choice I probably would’ve done all my schooling at Grafton. I thought of friends who moved into the district, others who moved out, some who did both. The last thing I thought about was how comfortable I’ve become with it all. It’s an unfamiliar territory that we’re roaming into and I can’t help but draw the parallel between entering
kindergarten and now. There is one drastic difference between the two though. On that first day of kindergarten I had Mrs. Roberts and Deanna. But now I look out and see our families. I see teachers who became our friends, friends who in their own right became our teachers and all of whom I consider my family… all of you have supported me, supported us, and we all have supported one another. We were capable of making it through that first change as children. Now we head off into something new but this time we have an entire community at our back. Best of luck to all of you and thank you.
Berlin Class of 2010 –Where Are They Going?
Zachery Alderman – ITT
Samantha Bentley – Samaritan School of Nursing
Erin Berschwinger – SUNY College at Brockport
Cheri Bink – Undecided
Thomas Burdick – Employment
Timothy Chaudoin – Hudson Valley Community College
Halie Cormier – Employment
Megan Davies – Hudson Valley Community College
Kelsey Demick – SUNY Potsdam
Emily Dooley – Sage College of Albany
Michael Drogos – US Marine Corps
Carley Furcinite – Employment
Janelle Gazelone – Hudson Valley Community College
Erin Goyer – Hudson Valley Community College
Samantha Grant – Austin School of Spa Technology
Tiaira Greene – Hudson Valley Community College
Jennifer Gundrum – John Paolo’s Extreme Beauty Institute
Tyler Hake – Undecided
Kayla Hawk – Hartwick College
Richard J. Hebert – US Army Reserves
Anthony Hindes – Hudson Valley Community College
Tyler Hoffman – Employment
Ann Marie Houle – Hudson Valley Community College
Jessie Jacobs – Hudson Valley Community College
Nathaniel Jestes – US Army
Laura Jones – Hudson Valley Community College
Teri Jones – Hudson Valley Community College
Tiffany Kellar – Hudson Valley Community College
Chadd Kiablick – Hudson Valley Community College
Joseph Kiablick – Hudson Valley Community College
Kyle Kormos – Hudson Valley Community College
Mary Lane – Hudson Valley Community College
Marissa Levsha – Hudson Valley Community College
Dylan Lozinski – Undecided
Jennie Mather – Hudson Valley Community College
Amanda Monk – Hudson Valley Community College
Victoria Muller – Sage College of Albany
Deanna Nash – Boston University
Jared Nelson – Hudson Valley Community College
Jordan Rathbun – Undecided
Catherine Rawlings – Hudson Valley Community College
Michelle Schleimer – Arts Institute of Ohio
Daniel Scott – Hudson Valley Community College
Justin Shorter – Hudson Valley Community College
Vanessa Small – Undecided
Kalee Stata – Undecided
Kyah Stevens – Hudson Valley Community College
Bethany Strock – Hudson Valley Community College
Racheal Thomas – Hudson Valley Community College
Rianna VanEmburgh – Hudson Valley Community College
Shawn Vasilatos – Hudson Valley Community College
Katarina Walters – Undecided
Drew Webster – Curry College
Shawn Willis – Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
BCS Graduation photos by David Flint.