Mount Saint Mary College recognized more than 100 graduates of the Nursing program at a pinning ceremony on Friday, May 15.
Mount Saint Mary College recently honored more than 100 graduates of its prestigious Nursing program at a pinning ceremony held on Friday, May 15.
As per Mount tradition, the nurse pinning was a prelude to the college’s annual Commencement. Later that day, the college celebrated its graduate students at the first of two ceremonies. The next day, Saturday, May 16, the Mount awarded degrees to hundreds of undergraduates, including the newly-minted nurses. In all, more than 400 students received their degrees.
Carol Wanyo, assistant professor of Nursing, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies, welcoming attendees to the pinning of the Mount Saint Mary College Nursing Class of 2026.
“The journey to become a registered professional nurse is not for everyone,” noted Wanyo. “It’s packed with many challenges, hard work, dedication, a little stress, some tears, and always the joy of success. These students…are now ready to make the transition from student nurse to graduate nurse.”
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Vice President for Mission and Ministry and Campus Chaplain, delivered the invocation and performed the formal blessing of the pins. Presented to the graduates by chosen family members and friends, the unique Mount nursing pin displays the college seal and motto, doce me veritatem, which translates to “teach me the truth.” Following the blessing, Michelle Tingson-Pregno of Highland, N.Y. led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mount President Dr. Robert Gervasi congratulated the Nursing Class of 2026. “While every celebration is unique, just as every person, every student, every nurse, every patient is unique, we all are part of a larger transition that transcends space and time,” he said. “I encourage all of our nursing students and nurses to be ladies and gentlemen with lamps, not only to light the way of healing, but to light the way of hope.”
Dr. Ann Marie T. Brooks, Interim Dean of the School of Nursing, urged the graduates to lean into their successes: “This pin that you’re going to get is a symbol of our faith in you. Wear it proudly and know that the School of Nursing and the college are so glad you came, that you studied, and that you completed the program, and now you’re ready to be the best you can be. Your future is bright because of the love and support of the people in this room.”
Reflections on the cohort’s academic journey were shared by Kate Egan of Levittown, N.Y., President of the Student Nurses’ Association and School of Nursing Leadership Award recipient, as well as classmate Wanda Paulino of Fishkill, N.Y.
Egan spoke on the challenges and growth of their collective college experience.
“Nursing school has been a journey like no other, and it’s hard to explain to someone who has not gone through it,” she said. “And yet somehow, 1,356 days have passed, and here we are at our pinning ceremony…We learned how to take blood pressures and give injections, but we also learned how to hold someone's hand on their hardest day when words weren’t enough. We studied pharmacology and med-surg, but we also learned how to listen, advocate, and lead with empathy, because this profession is about choosing care over and over again.”
Paulino offered a powerful perspective as a non-traditional nursing student. She returned to college in her 40s, she explained, which came with new challenges.
“At this stage in life, many of us are not only chasing dreams, we are also carrying responsibilities,” she said. “We care for our children, grandchildren, parents, and loved ones, while still trying to hold ourselves together through life's hardships…That is why this moment means so much, because this journey proves that it is never too late to grow, never too late to begin again, and never too late to become who you were meant to be.”
Keynote speaker Lynette DeBellis, associate professor of Nursing and Chair of the School of Nursing, discussed how the vocation intertwines with a nurse’s personal identity and strengthens them professionally and personally.
“There will be days that test your confidence, your endurance, and even your spirit,” she said. “There will be moments when you question yourself: your abilities and even your purpose. During those moments, I hope you remember to show yourself grace…Be the nurse you would want your most precious loved one to have care for them. If you lead with this principle, you will never lose your way.”
Zoe O’Brien of Mahopac, N.Y., recipient of the Perseverance Award, delivered acknowledgements on behalf of the graduating class, reflecting on the complex human experiences that underpin elite caregiving: “When we walk into a patient’s room, we don’t just see a diagnosis, a chart, or a list of medications. We recognize the fear in patients’ eyes, the uncertainty in a family member’s voice, and the silence that fills a room when words just aren’t enough.”
Following the addresses, the candidates’ names were announced by Marilyn Lashlee, associate professor of Nursing. Brooks then recognized several students for academic, clinical, and leadership excellence within the School of Nursing, in addition to Egan and O’Brien.
- School of Nursing Clinical Excellence Award: Ivan Labuda of Danbury, Conn.
- General Excellence in Nursing Award: Joshua Bartlett of Wappingers Falls, N.Y. and Bianca Anjos of Hopewell Junction, N.Y.
- Spirit of Nursing Award: Franceen Moncrieffe of Saint Albans, N.Y.
- Perseverance Award: Colleen Caldwell of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
- Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award: Noah Anderson of Watervliet, N.Y.; Olivia O’Donell of Massapequa Park, N.Y.; and Julianna Zeidan of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
To close out the ceremony, 2026 nursing grads Emily Schneider of Rock Tavern, N.Y. and Andreina Mejia of Highland Mills, N.Y. offered closing thanks to the cohort’s professors and families, before the proud graduates recited “A Nurse’s Prayer,” led by graduate Stephanie Ingenito of Palisades, N.Y.