CTE Success: 'BOCES was the best decision I ever made'

Jake Romer was an “average student” by his own account at New Rochelle High School, but he found his passion when he enrolled in the TV/Video Production program at Southern Westchester BOCES.

Today he is a camera loader on the set of Law & Order: Organized Crime. He’ll join the Camera Guild soon and be on his way to realizing his dream of becoming a behind-the-camera creator. He credits the skills, mentorship, and direction he got at SWBOCES.

“I tell everyone this, and I’m not even exaggerating, going to BOCES was the best decision I ever made,” said Mr. Romer, Class of 2016. “It really set me up for where I am today. Even on set, a lot of the knowledge I have came from (instructor Tony Ely) and what he taught me. He definitely gave me a lot of tools to succeed in the industry.”

Prior to coming to SWBOCES, his interests were in sportswriting. Sports media or broadcasting seemed like likely career paths. The Career and Technical Education program at SWBOCES gave him concrete skills that he uses daily in his work, from basics like coiling cables and exporting media to preparing cameras for filming. 

“A lot of what I learned in BOCES I use every day,” he said.

Mr. Romer studied sports broadcasting at the University of New Haven for a year before transferring home to Westchester Community College. He felt like he would rather get out into the world and start furthering his skills through hands-on work. He also wanted to avoid taking on $100,000 in student debt. 

So he went from community college right to full-time work at age 20. Now, at 24, he says he is years ahead of where he might be without the foundation SWBOCES gave him. Union membership will provide increased opportunities and set his career on an upward trajectory.

Mr. Romer finished up at SWBOCES with a 4.0 GPA and the honor of being valedictorian of his class. The difference that SWBOCES made for him, he said, was that he found himself studying what he was passionate about. And the best way to learn something, he said, is by doing it. At least that was his own experience.

“BOCES made me excited to go to school,” he said, adding that he had to wake up extra early to catch the BOCES bus. “It added a sense that, ‘I’m here for a reason.’”