Congratulations! We’re proud of you!
Success is a journey, and at Crossroads, we are proud to celebrate the achievements of our staff members along the way. Every milestone, no matter how big or small, is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion that our team puts into their work every day. We are excited to share their stories with you, as they inspire us all to keep pushing towards our goals. So keep reading to learn more about the incredible accomplishments of our staff, and join us in celebrating their success!
Hooray, Michelle! 7.21.23
“I reached for the stars, and so can you!” Michelle Grignon, NYS Certified Teaching Assistant
We are so very happy for you Michelle! All of the hard work and time spent learning and studying has come to fruition. You are now certified! What a great job!
Michelle says it took about a year and a half for her to study and prepare for the TA exam; we are incredibly proud of her and excited with her.
Congratulations Logan! 5.25.23
“I’m so excited to have half the alphabet after my name!” Logan Corbett, MS, BCBA, LBA
Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement, Logan! After 4 years of working towards this license your relentless pursuit of knowledge, expertise, and excellence has paid off! We admire your dedication, and we are honored to have you as a valuable member of our team. Keep up the amazing work and continue making a positive impact in the lives of those you touch.
HOORAY for Jinel! 4.18.23
“If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn.” – O. Ivar Lovaas
Meet Jinel, a team leader who truly embodies the idea of teaching the way students here learn. Her understanding that taking the time to get to know people on an individual basis, and teach the way they uniquely process information, makes her a great Educational Supervisor. Recently she has added to her long resume of Special Education and ABA experience a BCBA certification! We are so proud of her!
A Chamber Recognition! 4.12.23
This achievement recognizes every person involved with Crossroads, past and present!
Crossroads celebrated our 25th year of service to the region at the Good News Luncheon hosted The Capital Region Chamber today. The event, held at the beautiful River Stone Manor, was filled with fun and excitement as the Chamber recognized 6 awardees and 6 milestone achievers including Crossroads. The Chamber expressed its gratitude to Crossroads for serving the community for a quarter-century and acknowledged the tremendous support received from our community. Surrounded by inspiring businesses and organizations, we were honored and humbled to be there.Congratulations to all other milestoners and awardees who were recognized for their contributions to the region.
Attending on behalf of Crossroads were Wendy Whitman, Melissa Cleinman, Joyce Yates, John Yates, Kelly Young, Shavonne Sanders, Kathy Heiner, and Vicki Ramotar, who were pictured at the event. We also were supported by two of our board members who were present with their own organizations, Kim Siciliano with YWCA-NENY, and Shane Rauh with Pioneer Bank.
This milestone is a significant achievement for Crossroads and a testament to our commitment to supporting the community for years to come.
Applause for Alexis! 1.27.23
Mrs. Alexis has achieved her NYS dual certification as a teacher for Grades 1-6 and for Special Education. She has been working on her credentials at St. Rose for the past 2 and a half years, while working full time as Room 11’s teacher. We are thrilled to congratulate her for her hard work and achievement.
Bring it on for Brianna! 1.6.23
Ms. Brianna is a Teaching Assistant in Room 1, who has just achieved her Associates Degree in Psychology! We are so proud of her!
Sending Logan Some Love! 12.21.22
Ms. Logan, a Behavior Technician with our ABA Clinic, has been working towards her board certification for quite some time. In fact, she had to accumulate at least 1,100 hours, 10% of which needed to be supervised, before she could sit for the exam. She was able to complete all of that work here at Crossroads, with the help of Carolyn, Clinical Director, and Jessica, Ashley and Jenna, BCBAs. She also had to complete her Master’s Degree in ABA. When she passed it, she was elated – “I did the happy dance,” she giggled,” when they told me I passed.”
We’re so happy for Logan!!
Awesome, Agnes! 11.17.22
We’re delighted to share that Mrs. Agnes, our Program Controller, has recently acquired the requirements needed to become a Notary Public. As few as 40% of test-takers sitting for this appointment pass the exam, showing Agnes’s mental fortitude in achieving a high score to achieve her goal!
Congratulations Julia! 9.20.22
We are proud of Ms. Julia, a TA in Room 6, who has recently completed her NYS Teaching Assistant certification. She says the test was difficult, but she studied hard, and succeeded. She feels good about her achievement, and we applaud her for her great efforts!
Shouting out to Ellyn! 3.28.2022
Ms. Ellyn has been waiting for months for her OT license to be finalized, and now it is. After years of graduate school, clinical hours and tests, she’s now a licensed Occupational Therapist.
3.28.2022 Congratulations to Jenna!!!
Ms. Jenna has achieved her NYS license as a Behavior Analyst. She was already a BCBA – scroll down to read that story! The road to licensure is lengthy and the achievement is prestigious. Awesome on you, Jenna. We celebrate you!
3.17.2022 Celebrating Flori!!!
We’re thrilled to send out a huge holler to Ms. Flori, Teaching Assistant in Room 4. She has just achieved her NYS Teaching Assistant LEVEL 3 certification, which only comes about with time and experience. Congratulations on your hard work, Flori! We salute you!
9.7.21 Very Excited for Victoria!
Please join us in congratulating Victoria, Room 13’s Special Education Teacher! She just obtained her professional teaching certificate!
How it works is that when you get your master’s and then complete a variety of tasks you get your initial teaching certification. After that there are further qualifications you need to get your professional teaching certificate; one of them is being in a classroom for three years as a teacher so I just achieved that and now. I’ll have different criteria to meet as I continue but that’s a big professional achievement. It means a lot, and I am very excited to continue doing this work with children.
3.23.2021 Bring it for Brianna!
Becoming certified as a Teaching Assistant in N.Y.S. requires meeting several components of training and an exam, among other things. Join us in celebrating this accomplishment that Room 14‘s Brianna has made!
Brianna shares her feelings about becoming certified.
It feels amazing and it was extremely hard. I took it once and I failed it. The second time I passed it with the extra support from Jenn; she made sure I had the practice I needed before I took the test.
She also has a message for her co-workers.
Coming to Crossroads was the best decision I could have ever made! You all are very supportive and I love to be at work.
3.15.2021 Overjoyed for Jenna!
Becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a long and arduous process that begins with determination and perseverance. Needed elements include a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, enrollment in a graduate-level degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, completion of course requirements, completion of clinical hours, and achievement of the BCBA exam. It’s a great achievement which we are proud of Ms. Jenna for recently reaching! Please join us in giving her some applause!
Learn more about pursuing a BCBA certification from The Behavior Analysis Certification Board website: https://www.bacb.com/bcba/.
I started here at Crossroads in 2018 when working on my Masters for ABA, and I think just working at Crossroads has helped me to build the skills that I learned in the textbook and apply them for life. I’m just excited to continue to work and grow with the kids and with the families and I could not have done it without the support of all the BCBA staff here. Everyone was just so welcoming and open to answering any questions I had so it was a great experience. I’m glad to be going up and moving forward at Crossroads.
3.5.2021 Radiance to Rebecca!!
It’s a requirement for our Teaching Assistants to pursue and achieve N.Y.S. certification after a predetermined amount of time at Crossroads. TA certification is not a simple task, however. It is time-consuming and adds extra work to the plates of people who are already working full time or close to it. However, it ensures that we have a high quality of people working with our children, people who are not only caring and dedicated but also have the skills needed to perform the tasks in line with the work here.
People like Ms. Rebecca. Rebecca is a Teaching Assistant in Room 13 who has achieved her N.Y.S. T.A certification and we’re very proud of her. Besides being a TA here, Rebecca is also a graduate student, pursuing her master’s degree in elementary and special education. Please join us in recognizing this awesome achievement.
Here’s what Rebecca has to say:
It was a good experience and it was definitely rewarding to finally get my TA certification. I am currently in my master’s program at Russell Sage for elementary and special ed dual so this is like a milestone. Crossroads is a great place to have my first experience in a special education classroom; the support is so helpful. It’s really exciting and I’m one step closer to finally getting there. I just love it here. The people are so great and it’s just a great environment, a great atmosphere and I wouldn’t wanna be in anywhere else.
3.2.2021 Brilliance to Brittany!
Today we are thrilled to congratulate Brittany on the recent achievement of her CCC-SLP license! The process for becoming licensed is arduous and challenging, and COVID made it more so. We all are appreciative of her hard work and accomplishment.
Here’s what Brittany has to say:
It’s been a long road to get here. What should have been a 9-month clinical fellowship here turned into about a year and a half due to the pandemic. But it makes it even more rewarding. It’s hard work but seeing my kids grow and learn to communicate makes it all so worth it. Crossroads is truly a great fit for me. I’ve learned so much already and I know I’ll continue to grow and learn from my students and the staff here. I’m grateful I have these opportunities. It’s incredibly rewarding to finally receive my certification and license so I can continue doing what I love.
2.10.2021 Marvelous Morgan!
We’re delighted to recognize Speech Therapist, Ms. Morgan, today. She has recently achieved her CCC-SLP license!
Being “certified” means holding the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), a nationally recognized professional credential that represents a level of excellence in the field of Audiology (CCC-A) or Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).
Morgan says that her pursuit of licensure was time-consuming and challenging. Working full time while completing course work and clinical requirements took finesse, and then the long and arduous process of applying for her license required extra gumption and stick-to-it-ness.
In July 2019, I began my journey to get my CCC-SLP here at Crossroads after receiving my Master’s Degree at Saint Rose. As many others can attest, the pandemic certainly didn’t make it easy – this process that was supposed to end in May wasn’t completed until November, and with paperwork processing time backed up by months I wasn’t able to be recognized officially as having my credentials until January! However, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that Crossroads has given me to learn and grow as a clinician, a therapist, a professional, and a person over the course of this process. I consider myself very fortunate to be lucky enough to do what I do and I’m looking forward to helping more friends find their voices!
We are so very proud of you Morgan! Thank you for fulfilling this achievement for the children you serve.
1.21.2021 Jubilation for Jacquelynn!
Please join us in congratulating Jacquelynn on obtaining her N.Y.S. Teaching Assistant certification! Here’s what she has to say about this achievement!
I am so happy to achieve another milestone in my career! Crossroads has welcomed me with open arms, and I am so happy to have them as my work family! I look forward to coming to work each and every day. I love showing my creative side through the bulletin boards and hope that it brightens the day of those who walk by. My professional philosophy is rooted in progression rather than perfection, and difficult does not mean impossible! I am beyond blessed and thankful to have Crossroads at my side as I pursue my master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and look forward to the many opportunities that await me to better serve the children! ~ Jacquelynn Akins
11.16.2020 Terrific, Taylor!
We’re happy to share that Ms. Taylor has achieved her N.Y.S. Teaching Assistant certification! A T.A. in Room 6 this year, Taylor has worked in several classrooms at Crossroads; her experience and flexibility are a great asset. Outside of her workday, she’s busy working on her Associate’s degree, currently for Independent Studies, and with plans to pursue a major in the field of Special Education. Good for you, Taylor!
11.12.2020 Lift it up for Lindsay!
Lindsay is a Teaching Assistant in Room 3 who plans to become a special education teacher. Her bachelor’s degree is in psychology and education, and working as a T.A. is giving her tons of excellent practical experience along the way. She says she feels that by achieving her certification, she is completing the first step to becoming a special education teacher. We are so happy and proud that Lindsay has obtained her N.Y.S. T.A. certification!
10.22.2020 Applause for Amanda!
Amanda always had a love/hate relationship with school growing up, and after exploring different career possibilities since college, has finally found where her heart belongs – in a school! She loves working with children and being part of her supportive classroom. After much worry about not being able to, she just earned her N.Y.S.Teaching Assistant certification! Let’s send out our high five vibes!
10.22.2020 Fabulous, Flori!
Flori is a T.A. in Room 6, who has worked in many of the classrooms in her time with us. She started here as a volunteer and fell in love with Crossroads, and Crossroads with her. Flori tells about how she kept putting off pursuing her N.Y.S Teaching Assistant certification, thinking it would be too difficult, but that once she got started, she found that she was fully prepared and capable. We’re delighted to be able to share the news that Flori has achieved her T.A.certification!
8.29.2020 Awesome, Alyssa!!
We’re delighted to share that Ms. Alyssa, a C.O.T.A. at Crossroads, has received her bachelor’s degree in health and Occupational Science. She says she’s very excited to have completed this part in her journey to becoming an Occupational Therapist. We agree! She is a wonderful assistant now, and will make a great OT when she gets there! Congratulations!!!
Alyssa Tama, Bachelors
8.19.2020 Woohoo to Michelle!
Ms. Michelle is a T.A. with our Daycare program and has recently celebrated her 5th-year milestone with Crossroads. This week, she received her high school diploma! We’re so proud of you and happy for you, Michelle! Knowing the hardships this year has brought made your coursework extra challenging, yet you persevered. Most excellent!
3.12.2020 Outstanding, Gabbi!
Ms. Gabbi is the most recent Crossroads T.A. who has accomplished the multiple requirements for N.Y.S. Teaching Certification! Help us say “congratulations!”
3.7.2020 Well done, Chelsea!
Becoming certified as a Teaching Assistant in N.Y.S. means meeting various requirements which include several components of training and an exam, among other things. Join us in celebrating this accomplishment that Room 7’s Chelsea McFarland has made!
2.27.2020 Hats Off to Ashlie!
It’s not every day that someone becomes a Licensed Behavior Analyst in NYS! This achievement represents so much time, effort and hard work. Help us congratulate Ashlie Rocker for this wonderful accomplishment!
1.29.2020 You did it, Adriana!
Please join in congratulating Room 11’s Ms. Adriana, who is now a N.Y.S. certified Teaching Assistant! Way to go!
1.29.2020 Nice going, Jessica!
Ms. Jessica has received her license in Behavior Analysis! Well done! She will now be taking on supervising B.C.B.A. responsibilities in the Clinic. Please help us say “congrats!”
12.11.19 Hats off to Heather!
Room 11’s Ms. Heather has achieved her NYS Teaching Assistant certification! Join us in saying Congratulations!
11.21.19 Way to go!
Please help us applaud Ms. Shammy, from Rm 4. She has earned her NYS Teaching Assistant certificate!
10.1.2019 Please join us in congratulating Mr. Kevin, from Rm 11. He has passed the exam and is now a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCBA)!
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9.16.19 Congratulations, Alexis!
A shout out to Ms. Alexis from Room 12. She is now a certified NYS Teaching Assistant! Way to go!
8.1.19 Congratulations are in order!
HIGH FIVES!
Help us shout out to Ms. Nikki and Ms. Lorann! Both have earned their NYS TA certifications! Job well done!
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