MSMC Awards Nursing Pins to 82 Students

NEWBURGH – Mount Saint Mary College held a pinning ceremony for 82 graduates of the college’s nursing program on Friday, May 20.

Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., director of Campus Ministry and campus chaplain, blessed the pins, which were presented to the graduates by chosen family members and friends.

The Mount Saint Mary College nursing pin displays the college seal and the motto, “doce me veritatem,” which translates as “teach me the truth.”

Mount nursing professors Andrea Ackermann, Priscilla Sagar, and Jill Sussman offered the graduates words of encouragement and advice for their upcoming nursing careers.

“The new face of nursing practice includes global terrorism, Ebola, and the Zika virus,” said Sussman, the event’s keynote speaker. “This will not be easy. It will take skill and determination to accomplish this enormous task. Sacrifices and taking chances will be necessary to reach your goals. But not to worry: nurses thrive in adversity.”

Victoria Goldbach of Middle Village, Queens – recipient of the School of Nursing Leadership award and the American Nursing Association New York Future Nurse Leader Award – gave her reflections. She credited the group’s professors with molding them into the nurses they are today.

“It’s safe to say nursing school was like a rollercoaster ride…but we made it through,” she said. “We couldn’t have made it without our nursing professors. We wouldn’t be where we are today without your unwavering support.”

Other award recipients were Alessandra Sicolo of Bloomingburg, N.Y., who was given the General Excellence in Nursing Award; Sean D’Onofrio of Highland Falls, N.Y., who received the School of Nursing Clinical Excellence award; Stephanie Conover of Brooklyn, N.Y., who earned the Spirit of Nursing award; and Maegen Reed of Rockaway Park, Queens, who got the Perseverance award.
The students were full of praise for their families. Ashley Kessler of Wallkill, N.Y. said she couldn’t have graduated without the support of her parents.

“This pin is dedicated to my loving family, who never gave up on my dreams, and to my beautiful mother for passing her pin down another generation,” she said.

To close out the ceremony, the newly-minted nurses recited “A Nurse’s Prayer,” which speaks of dedicating one’s life to helping others.

Additional Mount graduates who received their nursing pin are Rebecca Albergo, Amanda Alexander, Briana Almonte, Stephanie Babcock, Joscelyn Barone, Kimberly Betz, Nicole Cacioppo, Dorothy Carlton, Kelly Cirimello, Raewyn Clayton, Casey Cleary, Lauren Cooney, Laura Corveleyn, Angelica Cosentino, Catherine Dempsey, Danielle Donohue, Kiara Eli, Alexander Fay, Emalie Flatt,  Amanda Fox, Victoria Fried, Brianne Germain, George Goodman, Gursimrinjit Gosal, Catherine Grace, Erik Grazier, Ellen Hendricks, Samantha Hansen, Jennifer Hausler, Stephanie Herbert, Vanessa Hui, Paige Husar, Kayla Karsten, Ria Kaur, Lauren Keddy, Kelsey Koetzner, Ashley Kreischer, Sara Levine, Stephanie Lieberman, Nicole Lipitz, Rachael Lloyd, Taylor Loesch, Kelsie Lombardi, Maxine Luke, Cara Maffucci, Kristine Martin, Melody Martin, Maria Martori, Kathleen McGinnis, Lindsay McKeon, Jacqueline McNeil, Cheryl Meneses, Irene Mera, Allison Muller, Emily Muzyka, Carly O’Boyle, Chelsea Orts, Samantha Palka, Lee-Anne Parker, Erica Patrona, Ashley Pellicci, Stanley Picard, Megan Prendergast, Deirdre Ray, Chelsea Robinson, Erica Romanelli, Ashley Selback, Saski Senorine, Alessandra Sicolo, Caitlyn Siebold, Veronica Speed, Jessica Stickle, Samantha Straube, Kaitlyn Trinder, Sean Virgo, Avery Wiltse, and Aleene Woronik.