Students in Cale Jirinec’s Heavy Equipment and Repair Operation (HERO) class at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES were recently recognized by the New York State School Boards Association.

The HERO program was honored as part of the Champions of Change for Kids for their Heavy Equipment annual Rodeo. Sandra Ruffo, NYSSBA Area 4 Director, was on-hand to present the HERO class with their banner. During her presentation, Ruffo listed the criteria for receiving the honor, and said that the HERO program was selected overwhelmingly from a pool of more than 100 applications.

The rodeo started in 2008 and has become a prominent event in central New York for HERO students from throughout the region. As an example, representatives from various colleges attend this event to see students’ work and will often offer scholarships based on performance at the rodeo.

Along with recognizing the students and Jirinec, Teacher Assistant Suzanne Burnett was also highlighted by the Cayuga BOCES staff as the “driving force” of the rodeo.