On Sept. 30, Communications High School students said goodbye to another long-term faculty member when Jennifer Cornine retired after 17 years as CHS’s television production teacher.
Students and staff alike chose to celebrate her tenure rather than dwell on her departure. Throughout the week of the 25th, CHS recognized Cornine and her work. Principal James Gleason honored her years of service by giving her an etched award. Her coworkers commemorated their time working together with a small party. At the same time, her television students prepared their own surprises for the beloved educator.
The morning of the 30th began with a rare sight on Channel 62 when Cornine and replacement TV teacher Nicholas Pellicano made an appearance as hosts of “Full Studio,” the junior news show.
“I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve appeared in a show at CHS, so it was super fun to do my last sendoff with [Mr. Pellicano],” Cornine said.
The junior class capped off the show with a tribute video of students and staff expressing their love for Cornine. The Advanced TV class followed suit with a video of former Live TV Production students reminiscing on their favorite moments with Cornine, complimented by gifts from seniors Kelly Meehan of Wall and Sabrina Liding of Freehold.
While she will be missed, retirement gives Cornine more personal time and flexibility. With her youngest son starting college at The University of Texas at Austin and a streak of health issues that led to numerous absences last year, Cornine now has time to focus on more important things.
“My immediate plan is to travel back and forth between my kids, working remotely and focusing on my health,” Cornine said.
Following the retirements of world history teacher Tom Ross, physical education teacher Virginia Clevenger and the announcement of Principal James Gleason’s retirement, Cornine’s departure continues a changing of the guard at CHS.
The biggest change comes in the CHS studio, where radio teacher Bill Bengle will gain a new roommate for the first time in his 14-year long career. While he is excited to share the space with Pellicano, Bengle acknowledges the differences between Cornine and her successor.
“[Cornine] was the ‘mom’ energy, I’m the ‘dad’ energy,” Bengle said. “It’s the bro cave now.”
Pellicano, 24, is a recent Boston University graduate with experience in the television industry as a video editor. His time working with Cornine provided him with some of her technical expertise, but he also draws on his own experiences to get students into the television industry.
“I hope to be at CHS for a long time…it’s so fun to work with [the students],” Pellicano said.
