BCC Holds Pinning Ceremony for Nursing Graduates

11:24AM / Monday, January 26, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) held a traditional pinning ceremony for 32 graduates of the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program on Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Robert Boland Theatre on the main campus.

The wearing of the school pin symbolizes the right to serve others, signifying the acceptance of the responsibilities of the practice of nursing and the educational preparation of the wearer. The ceremony is a time-honored nursing school tradition dating to the turn of the twentieth century. The gold center of the pin features the college seal, including the words "To travel hopefully."

Four graduates received awards:

Rachel Moriarty received the Academic Excellence in Nursing Award, which is presented to the student who has the highest GPA within the ADN program and is given in acknowledgment of academic excellence in nursing. This award recognizes the student’s hard work and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of nursing knowledge.
Thomas Gwinnell received the Clinical Excellence in Nursing Award, which is presented to a student who performs exemplary delivery of nursing skills in the clinical setting. This award recognizes the role of advocacy in nursing by promoting compassionate and holistic patient-centered care.
Petrina Roberts received the Professionalism in Nursing Award, which is presented to a student who is committed to high quality patient care, and who also serves as a role model for teamwork and collaboration. The award recognizes the importance of communication and critical thinking while promoting the positive image of nursing.
Santiago Diaz Charry received the Berkshire Healthcare Systems Spirit of Caring Award, which is given to a graduating Associate Degree Nursing student who best exemplifies the spirit of compassion. The recipient of this award is committed to clinical and service excellence, optimizes each patient interaction to its full potential, and shows caring and concern for patients and their families.

The ceremony honored the following Class of 2025 graduates:

Connecticut

Bloomfield: Petrina Roberts

East Windsor: Camela Smith

Stafford: Trevor Maffuccio

Massachusetts

Adams: Emma Moser

Clarksburg: Cara Moulton

Dalton: Victoria Partridge, Courtney St. John

East Otis: Max Koivisto

Great Barrington: Stephanie Sanchez-Heredia

Lee: Amber Fabiano, Alexandra Saunders

North Adams: Alanah McLear, Payton Miller, Kelly Therrien

Pittsfield: Santiago Diaz Charry, Melissa Cobb, Thomas Gwinnell, Kobe Holloway, Laura Murphy, Clarinda Osei, London Steinman, Nicholas Stockley, Sally Twumasi

Richmond: Grace Ellrodt

Savoy: Jeremiah Reagan

South Egremont: Rachel Moriarty

South Lee: Nicole Bianco

Southfield: Peter Regan

Springfield: Kelly Phipps, Myrna Shapiro

New York

Stephentown: Jenessa Fuller

For more information about BCC Allied Health and Nursing programs, call the Admissions Office at (413) 236-1630 or visit www.berkshirecc.edu/nursing.

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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