Aidan Barto, a second-year student in the Career & Technical Institute’s TV & Film Production, thought he was just going to watch a morning assembly with Nick “Sunshine” Tokman, of the Discovery Channel program “The Deadliest Catch,” on April 14. Little did he know he would be filming the assembly on Tokman’s own cell phone.
Prior to the assembly, Tokman gave TV & Film Teacher Justin Brown his cell phone to film the talk, but Brown realized that Barto could use some work-based learning hours and handed over the reins to him. Barto was surprised at first, but quickly got to work and was honored to do the job.
“It went great,” Barto recalled. “I liked the amount of trust Mr. Brown put into me to do that since it’s such an important guest speaker.”
While Barto did not meet Tokman, he enjoyed hearing his inspirational story of overcoming obstacles in order to do what he wanted. He appreciates the opportunity to work on real and impactful projects, such as filming an informational video for the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce about what it does for businesses.
“We’re including interviews and a bunch of cool stuff in it,” Barto said of the chamber’s project. “We definitely have a lot of great opportunities here.”
Usually Tokman gives teachers his phone to film his talk so students can understand the message he imparts, but was happy to hear a student could film it.
“If they’re enjoying their time filming and doing that and they get the message too, then that’s great,” Tokman said. “The kids are awesome and I connect well with them.”
During the assembly, Tokman shared how after four years he left “The Deadliest Catch” where he was making $250,000 a year to be a motivational speaker with many questioning his motives. He always remembered how his late grandmother would encourage him to do what was best for him.
“I truly love what I do … too many times in my own life I got so focused trying to give into other people’s approval that I almost lost sight of who I was and the life I wanted,” Tokman said. “At Dutchess BOCES, it isn’t just about learning a vocation, it’s about finding out who you are and what you want to do with your life.”
Katie Joslyn, a second-year Cosmetology student, appreciated Tokman’s assembly because it was a real story of defying the odds and not an empty platitude.
“It’s definitely more encouraging than the stock ‘Silence out the haters, you can do it,’” Joslyn said. “This was a story of genuine perseverance.”
When Tokman was looking for work as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, he would throw a Ziploc bag containing his resume and some rocks onto commercial fishing boats, so it would keep dry and not get blown away. When Joslyn received a similar bag from Tokman, she was ecstatic.
“I’ve never been more happy to hold a bag of rocks,” Joslyn said. “This is my childhood, I used to watch this as a kid.”
After meeting with CTI students, Tokman made a presentation to students from the Resilience Academy and Salt Point Center.
