PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than 400 family members, friends, and college faculty filled the Boland Theatre on Tuesday to honor the newest nursing graduates.
"Our path to success was forged by hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrificing, and most of all, the love for what we do as nurses," graduate Theresa Carusotto told her 50 classmates at Bekshire Community College.
They're not only leaving a little bit smarter, a little more patient, and a lot more caring but also with a giant addiction to caffeine, she joked.
"In fact, I'd like to take this opportunity to make a nursing diagnosis for this cohort, severe fatigue, anxiety, stress, imbalanced nutrition and disturbed sleep pattern related to nursing school, as evidenced by the bags that are still under our eyes," she said.
Nursing is a selfless career because they "have the opportunity and the power to heal the mind, soul in the body," Carusotto said.
That ethos of selflessness and perseverance was echoed by other speakers at Tuesday's pinning ceremony, marking the end of the 51 future nurses' two-year odyssey at BCC.
Department Chair of Nursing Nicole Cerda noted all that hard work and time away from friends and familly had culminated in this moment and Dean of Nursing Lori Moon pointed the support and sacrifice from family and friends as well as the efforts of faculty and staff to aid them in attaining their associate's degree.
As the graduates are welcomed into the nursing profession, Moon sent them off with words of caution — the first year as a nurse will be overwhelming and there may be days where you ask why or if you can do this job.
"Here's the secret. Everyone feels that way as a new nurse. You're not alone … It's normal, everyone feels that way," Moon said.
She told them to never lose sight of where they are going and, no matter what, make a difference.
Nixon St. Bernard, a graduate of the program and now a nurse at Berkshire Medical Center, was the keynote speaker.
Success, he said, is not easy and every successful person has wanted to quit at some point. But if success is the realization of a worthy ideal, he continued, we know what we have to do.
St. Bernard was chosen to speak because of his willingness to work with students and his commitment to ensure that every student paired with him leaves the floor with greater knowledge.
Nursing is a unique field and so are the nurses, St. Bernard said, because they put everything into a career that is highly gratifying and also requires caring and compassion.
The graduates are ambassadors for the college, BCC President Ellen Kennedy said and she hoped they will take pride in saying they were educated at Berkshire Community College.
Carusotto concluded the evening with some words of wisdom to her classmates.
"We have the power to make a critically ill patient laugh. We have the power to teach someone with a debilitating chronic illness, how to cope. We get to share not only the beginning of a life, but the end of a life. We will be able to listen to our patients' past stories of their lives and hobbies, even though they might not have the strength to do them anymore," she said.
"I'm confident that I'm on stage with nurses that will push boundaries, strive to make a difference and do the best they can to prepare for their patients, even when sometimes there's no thanks at the end."
Awards
Professionalism in Nursing: Cassidy Kendall
Clinical Excellence in Nursing: Page Houser
Academic Excellence in Nursing: Melissa Phillips
Bette B. Everson Memorial Nursing Award: Melissa Phillips
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
BRTA Celebrates 50 Years, Electric Buses
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
State Sen. Paul Mark tries out the seating in a new hybrid bus.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is celebrating its 50th anniversary with new hybrid buses that tell a story about its history.
The BRTA was awarded five eco-friendly buses in the past two years as part of President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law under the Federal Transit Administration's Low or No Grant Program. Each is valued at about $800,000 and is decorated to represent different BRTA eras.
"It's not for us, it's for our customers," Administrator Robert Malnati said. "It's the reason we're here. We're here to make sure that our customers can go where they need to go when they need to get there in a safe and efficient manner."
Three of the buses have been on the road for about a month and the rest are expected this year. Paying homage to the BRTA's decades of service to the county, they are wrapped in retro graphic designs that call back to its buses in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Local and state officials marked the occasion with a ribbon cutting on Monday, highlighting the importance of public transportation and embracing greener technologies to move people around.
The BRTA is looking at hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for the future, which are powered by pure hydrogen gas and emit water vapor.
"As you move forward in upgrading your bus fleet, you are truly transforming our transformation system while protecting our air, our water, and our shared future," Federal Transit Administration Region 1 Administrator Peter Butler said, explaining that it is the FTA's job to support that innovation.
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said Berkshire County is no different than the rest of state RTAs when it comes to the challenge of securing funding but it does have greater geographical challenges.
Downtown Pittsfield Inc. proposed angled parking on North Street and was pleasantly surprised that the city responded with an in-depth study and new plans — even if they don't include angled parking.
click for more
Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
click for more
Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
click for more