Sabrina Scire, a dedicated Nursing student from Staten Island, N.Y. will graduate from Mount Saint Mary College having left an indelible mark on both the campus athletic scene and its prestigious Nursing program.
During the Spring semester of her junior year, Scire spearheaded a push to bring a new kind of energy to the field: The Mount’s first women’s Flag Football team.
“I always loved football growing up,” she explained. “I played in high school, and when I came here. I really missed it. So I wanted to see if anyone else is interested, and I found a lot of people were.”
Scire’s leadership on the field is matched by her commitment to one of the most demanding academic paths at the college.
“I chose the Mount originally because of the Nursing program,” she explained. “It’s very well known, especially in the Hudson Valley area. I knew it was going to be a hard four years, but I knew it was going to be worth it.”
And so it was: She credits the Mount’s robust Nursing program with providing the high-level training and clinical experience necessary to succeed in a high-stakes environment.
“The Nursing program here has definitely prepared me for the real world,” she said. “The clinicals especially; they get you right into it.”
Scire’s success in the demanding Nursing program was fueled by the support of the Mount’s faculty. She pointed to professors like Lynette DeBellis, associate professor and Chair of the School of Nursing, and Thomas Sarro, professor of Biology, as instrumental figures in her journey.
“They really want to see you succeed, and they’ll take the extra time to make sure you understand the material,” she said. “Professor DeBellis was my clinical instructor and she really pushed me to be more confident in my skills and just trust myself more.”
Regarding her foundational science courses, Scire noted: “Professor Sarro – he’s great. He made it fun, but also he made sure we knew our stuff because we were going to be nurses and we needed to know how the body works.”
Despite the heavy workload of Nursing school, Scire found that leading the flag football team provided a lesson in teamwork that she carries into her clinical practice.
“Nursing is definitely a team sport in its own way,” Scire noted. “You’re always working with other nurses, doctors, techs... so being on a team definitely helped with those communication skills.”
With her education at the Mount nearly complete, Scire reflected on the community she is leaving behind with a mix of gratitude and nostalgia.
“I’m definitely going to miss the people the most,” she shared. “The friends I’ve made here and especially my teammates on the flag football team... and also just the view of the river. I love the river.”
While saying goodbye to the campus and the team she helped build is difficult, Scire is eager to begin her professional journey. Her four years of preparation have given her the foundation needed to handle the challenges of a nursing career, she said.
“I’m definitely ready to move on and finally be a nurse,” Scire explained. “These four years were a lot of work, and I’m just ready to see it all pay off and finally get into the field. I’m leaving here with a lot more confidence than I came in with. The Mount really prepared me to just go out there and do it.”
After graduation, Scire plans to begin her career in a fast-paced hospital setting, with aspirations to specialize in emergency room care or pediatrics.