The Law and Leadership Academy graduation began like no other in the 25 year history of its existence – with a spectacular electric guitar version of the Star Spangled Banner, performed by L&L Academy student Gavin Coleman.
The 108 students spent more than 100 hours at the academy, steeped in academics and physical training. In addition to the instructors, they heard from numerous guest speakers, coming from various industries, law enforcement agencies, the school district and government, during the three-week academy.
This academy is a partnership between the Pine Bush Central School District, the Town of Crawford Police Department and the US Army. Former Pine Bush High School Principal Aaron Hopmayer and Town of Crawford Police Chief Dominick Blasko started this academy as a junior police academy 25 years ago. It grew tremendously into Law & Leadership.
Many students arrived at Pine Bush High School each day a full hour earlier than the official start time of the academy in order to get in additional physical training before their day began. That day included classes on law, economics and government, and featured presenters from throughout the county and state.
The keynote speaker at the graduation was Lt. Col. Brian Webster of the New York State Police. Webster advised the students that being well-rounded is important in their lives – play a sport, be in the National Honor Society, join clubs, have a job. And he gave them three keys to success: education, good people and hard work.
“Education is key to your success,” said Webster, encouraging the students to take their education seriously and challenge themselves.
“Surround yourself with good people,” he added. “They have influence on you. We want to be around people who lift us up.”
Finally, hard work. “It’s in your control,” Webster said. “Anything worth doing is worth doing well. You have to be willing to put the work in to whatever you do. It is the number one key to success.”
Former PBHS Principal Aaron Hopmayer, who retires at the end of July, thanked the parents and guardians for entrusting their young adults to the academy.
“We pushed them physically and mentally,” he said. “Your children won’t get a participation trophy. They earned this.”
Alcohol and Drug Awareness Counsel (ADAC) STOP-DWI Program Administrator John Jones received a Special Recognition Award from the Pine Bush Central School District and the Town of Crawford Police Department.
The Law and Leadership teaching staff included Kevin Blackwell, Renae Bray, Andy Britto, Daniel Conley, Neil Lisberg and Jonathan Lozier.
Instructional Assistants were Cailey Noviello, Daniel Sassi, Jacob Quinonez, Kevin Garcia Ramirez, Liam Blackwell and Viola Thibodeau.
Congratulations to our academy graduates and all who make it the program it is!
2026 Law and Leadership Academy Graduates
- Jayden Almonte
- Anthony Altomare
- Gabriel Anderson-Guadeloupe
- Dominic Berman
- Cailyn Best
- Matthew Best
- Harris Blumrath
- Isabella Bondi Artiles
- Connor Bordeman
- Phoenix Brennan
- Aiden Byrne
- Katelyn Byrnes
- Anderson Canales Carbajal
- Braiden Carney
- Reid Chen
- Chidebelu Chukwu
- Chigozie Chukwu
- Chinedu Chukwu
- Gavin Coleman
- Brianna Colon
- Paige Conley
- Jonah Crawford
- Zachary Cutignola
- Caleb Decker
- Jaden Delille
- Benjamin Depew
- Ryan Desir
- Pramon Dey
- Kelcie DiCataldo-Ciofalo
- Adam Dillon
- Zoe Dodson
- Ryleigh Dow
- Francois Espinosa
- Ryan Evans
- Gabriel Ferguson
- Ethan Fernandez
- Jaxxon Finan
- Emily Fobert
- Liberty Foddrill
- Shareffe Foster
- Lucas Frausto
- Noah Freestone
- Valerie Gallego
- Adrian Garcia
- Angelina Gellman
- Anthony Giannini
- Aiden Gorish
- Olivia Graziano
- Olivia Green
- Kayli Guzman
- Mouad Hariz
- Lars Henry II
- Anthony Hernandez
- Robert Hernandez
- Jacob Holmes
- Victoria Islam
- Jimmet Joseph
- Chase Keesler
- Daniel Kelly
- Jazlynn King
- Nathan Kreeger
- Delia Lopez
- Kendal Loughlin
- Ava Maccarello
- Brady Magsamen
- Gavin Magsamen
- Calvin Martin
- Elayna Meier
- Nicole Mejia Monroy
- Seth Miller
- Nathalia Morency
- Paris Morrison
- Colin Mullen
- Aubrey Muntz
- Nathaniel Odame
- Wyatt Pagan
- Jacob Perez
- Anna Pidvalna
- Avery Pierre-Louis
- Sydney Pierre-Louis
- Nicholas Pitt
- Jayven Quinones
- Jamel Reid
- Zion Renta
- Mahala Robinson
- Evangeline Sanders
- William Santana
- Mariette Santelises
- Yareli Segura
- Makeelah Silencieux
- Lilly Sullivan
- Nyla Swiney
- Zoe Taenzer
- Jeremiah Tanner
- Milliana Taylor
- Angel Tejeda
- Owen Terranova
- Juliette Thibodeau
- Cole Thompson
- Rylee Torres
- Victoria Vargas
- Lorenzo Venditti
- Zahriyah Walters Wilks
- Liam Waterman
- Isaiah Williams
- Elika Yeager
- Gabriell Zavala
- Paige Zwart