Brianna at graduation in June 2015.
Brianna Cancilla graduated from Sackett Educational Center last June. Since graduating, she’s enrolled the Digital Media program at Hudson Valley Community College and has a part-time job as a security officer for Allied Barton.
Brianna says the environment at Sackett played a huge role in preparing her to be successful after high school. She credits the staff for helping her through what can often be a challenging time for teens – not just completing their coursework but getting ready to move on from high school to the “real world”.
“They made sure I was ready to go off on my own. They helped me with everything I was worried about and helped make me who I am today,” she says.
Brianna says she wouldn’t have been able to achieve that success without the help of her teachers and staff at the school.
“The staff there was one of the best I know because they treat every student like they are their child. No one there ever gave up on me and without them I don’t know where I would be today.”
Clinical Team Leader Jane Govola says the small size of Sackett helped Brianna be successful.
“Being able to be herself, and feel comfortable with that, having the support and being able to be part of a school community, that sense of belonging,” Govola says.
While Brianna isn’t sure what she wants to do after college, she felt the Digital Media program at Hudson Valley was a good fit.
“I’m really tech savvy and really creative. This program checks off everything I’m looking for and it ties in all of my hobbies.”
Brianna says her job was a bit of a surprise to her because she never expected to be working in the security field. She goes to a specific job site for each shift and makes sure the building is safe, verifies that people who arrive are allowed to be there and jumps in to help if anything goes wrong.
Brianna enjoys drawing, writing, watching videos, and playing video games – all things that will help her succeed in a career in digital media. She’s undecided if she wants to pursue a Bachelor’s degree, but hopes to secure at least an internship for Rooster Teeth, a digital production company based in Austin, Texas. She says their products are the main reason she got interested in digital media and that she’d love to have the chance to work for them.
She also credits the strong sense of community at Sackett for her success.
“I remember when I had to get a hip replacement and was out for a couple of days. When I got back not only the students but the staff welcomed me and told me they missed me so much. They knew why I was out and always made sure I was ok and moving around fine. It was so heart-warming I just couldn’t stop smiling.”
