Seniors Visit Golisano Institute as Capstone Experience
On Friday, February 6, 2026, five Byron-Bergen seniors dressed to impress for a day of hands-on experiences at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. The Golisano Institute provides career-ready, alternative, post-secondary business education. In addition to taking a tour and observing classes, students participated in mock job interviews and a workshop during which each student created a professional LinkedIn profile. The field trip was part of Byron-Bergen’s newly established work-based learning program.
The work-based learning program launched in the fall of 2025. Headed by College & Career Counselor and Certified Work-Based Learning Coordinator Robert Kaercher, the program allows seniors to earn high school credits while gaining real-world career experience. Students who participate in the program meet as a class on Mondays and attend internships three days a week. The in-classroom time allows students to discuss their internship experiences and career goals and take part in presentations from alumni and community leaders. “The alumni presentations focus on more than just asking students what they want to do, but sharing their personal experiences with them, so the students can learn,” said Kaercher.
Their internships take place during the school day, allowing students to participate in internships during regular business hours. Gianna Clark interned at Del Plato Casey Law Firm LLP in Batavia, where she learned how to interpret and prepare legal documents and attended client meetings and depositions. “I’m becoming familiar with the legal jargon, which is very useful,” said Clark. “I worked mostly with real estate and estate planning, but I also attended professional association meetings and gained a lot of experience.” She plans to study political science in college and then attend law school.
The field trip to the Golisano Institute offered a glimpse into what a career in business could look like, and students left with tools they can use going forward. For some careers, presenting oneself in person and online in a professional manner is crucial. “I liked the business feel and professional attire,” said Grace DiQuattro, who interned with the Genesee Community College athletic department, where she focused on marketing and design. “I worked on their website redesign, helped coordinate the Region 3 Championships, and created signage and pamphlets. Everyone was super respectful and treated me like a colleague, not just a high school intern.” She plans to attend Felician University to study sports marketing.
“Work-based learning is also a valuable tool to explore different career options,” said Kaercher. “We had two students interested in education who, after a semester in the classroom, decided to pivot and try a different area of education.”
Senior Libby Starowitz is currently interning at Byron-Bergen Elementary School with Physical Education Teacher Danielle Carson. “Working with the adaptive PE students was my favorite,” said Starowitz. “Because of that experience, I’m going to start working one day a week in a special education classroom.” She plans to attend Genesee Community College in the fall to study physical education.
“Libby has developed a great rapport with our students and staff,” said Carson. “She spent countless hours observing in our gym, learning classroom management and teaching skills.”
Byron-Bergen High School has actively advocated career planning and out-of-classroom experiences since Kaercher first came to the High School in 2015. In that time, Kaercher has expanded experiential learning offerings to include an annual college and career day event, participation in GLOW With Your Hands career days, career field trips, college visits, and now the work-based learning program.
“Kids learn a lot about their future careers through conversations they have with professionals in our community and through experiences like the Golisano Institute,” said Kaercher. “The value of hands-on learning experiences for our students is immeasurable. The program has been very successful because our community is so open to giving these experiences back to the kids.”
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