Before officially walking through the doors of Schuylerville High School as freshman students, members of the Class of 2026 had an opportunity this summer to visit the building and get acquainted with school counselors, teachers, and their peers. The annual freshman transition event is a full-day program, designed to jumpstart students’ high school experience in a positive, fun way.
Students toured the building, learned about the pathways to graduation, were provided their Chromebooks, and enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria.
The event also included a visit from motivational speaker Tay Fisher. After playing sports his entire life, including four years at Siena College and as a basketball player/ ambassador for the Harlem Globetrotters for 10 years, Fisher knew his athletic career wouldn’t last forever. While running basketball programs and camp brought him great joy, he loved being a role model even more.
During Fisher’s presentation to Schuylerville’s incoming freshman students, he encouraged them to push harder and always strive to be better for not only themselves, but for the people in their lives who support them.
“You write your own path for what you want to do,” said Fisher. “When you don’t give up, you start to see the person who you really are.”
Fisher dedicates his time giving back to the next generation, leading motivational speaking engagements for elementary, middle, high school and college/universities. He connects with kids of all ages with his words, stories and experiences. But this wasn’t the Class of 2026’s first encounter with Fisher, having met him as 8th graders during his visit to Schuylerville Middle School last year.
“My messages build upon one another,” said Fisher. “It’s special because the students are tuned in right from the start since we’ve met before.”
In his closing remarks, Principal Ducharme reflected on the opportunities ahead of the newest members of Schuylerville High School, encouraging them to enjoy their high school experience.
“If you talk to any of the teachers or the staff in this building who will interact with you during the next four years, they love what they do,” said Ducharme. “We love to work with students as they mature through high school and give them opportunities to help shape and support their paths. Just like Tay talked about, take advantage of opportunities and create your pathway. That’s what high school is all about.”