Emily Cognetti Awarded OHM BOCES Kathleen Clements Scholarship

New York Mills senior and Class of 2025 Valedictorian Emily Cognetti was awarded the 17th annual Kathleen A. Clements Scholarship from the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison (OHM) BOCES School and Business Alliance (SABA).

Emily was awarded the $500 because she exemplifies the scholarship’s criteria as a conscientious, hardworking and deserving individual with a desire to succeed and help others. Her commitment to learning is evident by her near-perfect GPA of 99.04 and her rank at the top of her graduating class. In her application, her teachers highlighted her academic excellence, leadership qualities and altruism.

Driven by a strong passion for giving back to her community, Emily has been heavily involved in community service. Among her many efforts to give back are the planning of cleanups, events for elementary students and a blood drive.

Emily plans to attend the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo to pursue a degree in psychology. She has expressed the desire to return to her community to work in the legal field and mentor high school students. Her OHM BOCES Regional Program for Excellence summer internship at Oneida County Family Court helped to solidify her decision to pursue a career in law.

The Kathleen A. Clements Scholarship was founded in 2008 to honor the memory of Kay Clements, former School and Business Alliance director at the OHM BOCES. Clements served in this position from 1991 through 2008 and dedicated herself to two concepts: showing students they could go further than they originally thought they could, and demonstrating that school and business partnerships are the most effective way to ensure the Mohawk Valley has a talented pool of qualified professionals.

Congratulations, Emily! We can’t wait to see the impact you make and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!