Mount Saint Mary College’s Nurse Pinning ceremony honored nearly 120 graduates of the program on Friday, May 16.
Mount Saint Mary College honored nearly 120 graduates of its prestigious Nursing program at a pinning ceremony on Friday, May 16.
It was the largest nurse pinning ceremony the Mount has hosted in recent memory.
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 17, the Mount awarded degrees to hundreds of undergraduates, including the newly-minted nurses. In all, more than 450 students received their degrees.
“This is a very special day for our graduates and all of you, family and friends,” noted Lynette DeBellis, associate professor of Nursing, Chair of the School of Nursing, and proud Mount alumna as she welcomed the Class of 2025. “The journey to become a registered professional nurse is not an easy one. It’s packed with many challenges, hard work, dedication, just a little bit of stress, just a few tears, but always the joy of success.”
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, blessed the pins, which were presented to the graduates by chosen family members and friends. The Mount nursing pin displays the college seal and motto, “doce me veritatem,” which translates as “teach me the truth.”
Dr. Robert Gervasi, president of the Mount, praised the students for their positive attitudes and commitment to their craft: “The Mount educates nurses to not only have top-notch technical expertise, but also to develop themselves as persons of caring and concern,” he said. “We really look forward to your success in the coming years.”
The students and their families then enjoyed a congratulatory message from Ann Marie Brooks, Interim Dean of the School of Nursing.
“I’m looking at these well prepared, highly motivated women and men, that understand the privilege of being a nurse – and we are so excited,” she said. “I want each of you to make sure that you build the life you want, filled with joy…Say, ‘what am I doing lately to make a difference in the lives of others?’ You’re well-prepared to do that.”
Students Gianna Robertson of Sparrowbush, N.Y., president of Mount’s Student Nursing Association; Keith Agyeman of Newburgh, N.Y., a first generation American; and Taylor Horne of New Windsor, N.Y. offered their reflections on the group’s journey to becoming nurses.
“I feel humbled and incredibly proud of all we have accomplished,” said Robertson. “This moment isn’t just the end of our time in the nursing program, it’s the celebration of a journey that transformed us in ways we’ve never imagined…Today we stand here as professionals equipped not only with clinical skills, but a deeper knowledge of, and appreciation of, nursing practice.”
Agyeman added, “Those clinical rotations reminded us of why we chose this path in the first place. We chose it to care, to heal, to connect, to make a difference.”
The ceremony’s keynote speakers were DeBellis and Carol Wanyo, assistant professor of Nursing. The professors congratulated their students on a job well done.
“This Mount Saint Mary College nursing pin that you’ll receive today represents a sign of achievement,” said Wanyo. “It shows your hard work, your dedication, and your commitment.”
The graduates were full of praise for their families. Maria Aguilar of Newburgh, N.Y. was pinned by her husband and two children.
“I dedicate my pin to my family,” she said. “My husband Michael for his love and support through every challenge; my parents Teresa and José; my mother-in-law Antoinette; and my greatest motivation, my children…This is for all for you.”
Near the end of the ceremony, Brooks recognized several students for academic excellence. Robertson and Mary Kate McGivney of Hopewell Junction, N.Y. earned the School of Nursing Leadership Award; Lisa Marie Gordon of Fishkill, N.Y. and Sabrina Salvadori of Lake Grove, N.Y. were given the Clinical Excellence Award; Alexa J. Beckham of Beacon, N.Y. and Mia Therese Cruceta of Port Jervis, N.Y. received the Spirit of Nursing Award; Alexander J. Minnerop of Newburgh, N.Y. and Alyssa Lynn Salfelder of Pleasant Valley, N.Y. received the Perseverance Award; and Gordon and Victoria Damiano of Valhalla, N.Y. earned the General Excellence Award.
Gordon and Brooks also thanked Mount Biology Professor Thomas Sarro for his tireless work with Mount Nursing students, awarding him an honorary nursing pin. Sarro is one of the longest-serving professors the Mount has ever known, with five decades of service and counting.
To close out the ceremony, the proud graduates recited “A Nurse’s Prayer,” which speaks of dedicating one’s life to helping others.