Port grad designs BOCES 50th anniversary logo

Orange-Ulster BOCES is celebrating 50 years of educational service this month. To mark five decades of partnership with local school districts and the State Education Department, BOCES has temporarily replaced its trademark logo with a specially-designed 50th anniversary logo. The festive logo – which has become the hallmark of the commemoration – was created by Port Jervis resident Amanda Smith.  

A 2007 Port Jervis High School graduate, Smith designed the 50th anniversary logo last spring while enrolled in the Visual Arts Academy at the BOCES Career and Technical Education Center in Goshen. Smith was one of more than 40 advertising design students who participated in a class contest to create the BOCES anniversary logo.

“Amanda’s festive design stood out above all of the entries,” said Orange-Ulster BOCES Communications Coordinator Betsy Xanthis, noting that “the logo was overwhelmingly selected by the contest committee.” The winning design, which is based on the Orange-Ulster BOCES logo, is now being incorporated in all 50th anniversary banners, flags, and printed materials.

 

Amanda Smith proudly displays the logo she designed for BOCES.

Ms. Smith, who is now studying animation at Mohawk Community College in Utica, NY, completed the BOCES Advertising Art and Design program during her last two years of high school. “When I first started at BOCES, I wasn’t thinking creatively,” said Smith. “My advertising teacher, Derrick Diaz, and the other teachers were amazing. They really helped me develop my design skills.”

Smith added,” If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to go to school to study animation.” Benefiting for a strong educational foundation, Smith has set high career goals for herself. When she completes her current two-year college program, she is planning to apply to one of the country’s top design schools - Savannah College of Art and Design – in order to gain the skills needed to work in the creative field of film animation.