CCM Graduates Latest Class from Prevocational Programs for Adults with Disabilities

Now Recruiting for the Next Group of Students for Culinary and Horticultural Careers

May 24, 2022

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COPGraduates — Cade Herman, Brendan Criscione, Kenneth Vellon, Darian Dadgari, Alexis Reynolds, Bryant Espaillat, Instructor Joseph Mastropierro, Joshua Carter, Veeral Dave and Instructors Emily Guderian and Jacqueline Thompson

MORRIS COUNTY — County College of Morris (CCM) recently celebrated the latest graduates from its Culinary Opportunity (COP) and Horticultural Opportunity (HOP) programs, as it also has begun recruiting for the next class for the training sessions for adults with developmental disabilities.

COP prepares students for entry-level food production or packaging positions in a grocery, supermarket, convenience store, or food market. Students in the program also obtain Serv-Safe certification and are provided with resume preparation and interviewing skills, along with the opportunity to meet potential employers.

Students in HOP gain hands-on experience in horticultural practices ranging from greenhouse production to landscape maintenance, to floriculture. Students learn about the safe use of tools, soil preparation, and seeding, transplanting techniques, caring for houseplants, etc. As with the COP program, students learn how to put together a resume and interviewing skills and have the opportunity to meet with potential employers.

On May 19, the college held a ceremony to honor the graduates from this semester’s COP and HOP programs, several of whom have already obtained employment in their respective fields.

COP graduates from this Spring Semester are Joshua Carter, of Flanders; Brendan Criscione, of Bernardsville; Darian Dadgari of Ledgewood; Veeral Dave, of Parsippany; Bryant Espaillat, of Morris Plains, Cade Herman of Oak Ridge, Alexis Reynolds, of Denville; and Kenneth Vellon, of Newark. This is the sixth class that has graduated from COP.

HOP graduates from the Spring Semester, which was the program’s second set of graduates, are Louis DeVito, of Long Valley; Kevin Hasenbein, of Morristown; Ryan May, of Morristown; Avi Saunders, of Livingston; and Jordan Walther, of Great Meadows.

Speaking to the graduates, Irena Kaler, director of Workforce Development & Community Partnerships, commended them for their hard work, determination, and cheerful attitudes, saying, “The sun shines brighter when you are around.”

Both programs are limited to eight students to provide individualized and extensive hands-on training. For more information on COP click here and for HOP click here.