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Graduates of the college's associate degree in nursing program were pinned Thursday night by nurses who had influenced and inspired them.

BCC Holds Pinning Ceremony for the Inaugural January Class

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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The inaugural January nursing cohort graduated 19 nurses. See more photos here.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College honored the first graduates of its January nursing program on Thursday evening in a pinning ceremony held in the college's Boland Theatre. 
 
The ceremony marked the work of the 19 graduates over the past two years. It took a week longer than usual after being postponed because of a snow storm last week.
 
"Tonight students celebrate their hard work in a nursing tradition dating back to the 1800s. It is the faculty's favorite time as they watched as their students have grown over the years," said Dean of Nursing Lori Moon. 
 
"Tonight is very important and each one of you worked hard to be seen on the stage. So take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. This nursing pinning ceremony isn't just a tradition. It's a rite of passage. A sacred ceremony that honors and celebrates nursing students and their hard work and dedication."
 
Completing the nursing program is not an easy feat, as it should be, she said, because it is preparing students for a career that can be hard, stressful, and sometimes frustrating.
 
But a nursing career is also rewarding and humbling, and Moon said she could not imagine not being a nurse. 
 
Students had selected Thomas Carey, a professor emeritus in the Allied Health program, to give the keynote speech. Carey said working in the medical field can at times be emotional. These future nurses will run into sad situations so it is important to laugh when the time calls for it, he said. 
 
Sharing stories from his career, Carey offered the graduates some advice — be kind, patient and compassionate, and take their nursing exam right away. 
 
"Finally, go make a difference in people's lives. And I know you will," he said. 
 
The audience erupted into cheers as each student walked across the stage to be pinned by a nurse who had inspired or mentored them.
 
BCC has for years held its associate's degree pinning ceremony in the spring; this pinning was the inaugural for a new January cohort, who began in the spring semester and graduated in the fall. The new program was introduced last January for 25 students after the fall cohort of 56 was filled. 
 
"You are the inaugural class for the January associate's degree in nursing cohort, the first," said college President Ellen Kennedy. "Worthy of celebration, worthy of praise."
 
Graduate Brittany Duma, in closing remarks, recalled the hard work of getting through the program and how they still had to grapple with jobs, family and finding time for themselves. 
 
"It was tough, but we did it. We should all be extremely proud of ourselves," she said. She encouraged her classmates to remember the first time they made difference in a patient's life and that when they get down to remember all the work they put into their education.
 
"Take a deep breath. And remember we know way more than we can ever give ourselves credit for."

Graduates: 

Mohamed Abdullahi
Tim Badu
Katie Boeckmann
Elizabeth Conkey
Brittany Duma
Samantha Flaherty
Diane Hadley
Nataya Hamilton
Jennifer Harrington
Danielle Harriot
Tyler Kennedy
Ashlee Loehr
Elizabeth Mclean
Kelvin Mwai
Jacqueline Nichols
Marguerite Ouimette
Lloy Phillips
Brookelynne Ruopp
Ginger Zani

Awards:

Academic Excellence in Nursing:  Brittany Duma
 
Clinical Excellence in Nursing: Katie Boeckmann
 
Professionalism in Nursing: Brookelynne Ruopp

Tags: BCC,   nursing education,   pinning,   

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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