Ceremony Celebrates Nursing Graduates
Each year, the Wegmans School of Nursing holds a recognition and hooding ceremony to honor graduates of its programs.
From undergraduate seniors to doctoral candidates, the event, which was held on Thursday, May 9, is the chance for the School to award students for success in and out of the classroom and thank faculty, staff, and community partners for their role in the education of program participants.
In addition to celebrating student success, the event incorporates several long-held traditions, including a bagpipe led procession and a candle lighting ceremony. Students light a candle and recite the Nightingale Pledge, a modified version of the Hippocratic Oath named in honor of Florence Nightingale.
Undergraduate nursing awards:
- Highest Undergraduate GPA: Anna Garrabrant, Kelsey Stirk
- Clara H. Wagner Nursing Award: Julie Considine, Nathalie Pierre-Philippe
- Highest RN/BSN GPA: Melissa Smith, Shannon Trottier, Angel Wise
- RN/BSN Professional Practice Award: Carriann Mackin, Christine Steinmetz, Elizabeth Chase
- Leadership Award: Zachary Doris, Madison Seamon
- GVNA Nursing Student Leadership Award: Madison Seamon
- Faculty-nominated Leadership Award: Yilmaz Ates, Brian Aeid
- ANA Future Nurse Leader Award: Zachary Duris
- Glover-Crask Simulation Center Experiential Learning Award: Latoya Sanders, Kathleen Ennis
- Nursing Honors and College Honors Students: Zachary Duris, Gabriella Loren, Victoria Merrick, Hannah Norberg, Nicole Nista, Lorinda Hayes, Isabelle De Stefano
- Caring Award: Kimberlie Paul, Sarah Stone-Francati, Gabriella Loren, Kathleen Ennis, Emily Wilmshurst
- Mentorship Award: Rosemary Awuor, Nathalie Pierre-Philippe, Joseph Colway, Nicole Drapeau, Zachary Duris, Brian Aeid
- Spirit Award: Kyra Mills, Deanna Panella, Gavin Thomas, Madison Seamon, Victoria Loysen
- Outstanding Adult Student Award:
- Academic All Star Award, Scholar Athlete Award, Phil Kahler Award:
Advanced practice nursing master’s program awards:
- Academic Excellence Award, FNP: Catherine Kamm, Kathryn Ledwin, David Johnson
- Distinguished Student Award, FNP: Marina McIntyre, Samantha Sargent, Lisa Zarnello, Ondrea Carpentieri, Stephanie Volo
- Academic Excellence Award, AGNP: Robert Barnard, Amy Yates
- Distinguished Student Award, AGNP: Robert Barnard, Adam Derek ten Broeke, Amy Yates
- Academic Excellence Award, PMHNP: Rosemary Shanahan
- Distinguished Student Award, PMHNP: Rosemary Shanahan
- Distinguished Student Award, CNS: Tamara Stern, Deborah Maier
Mental health counseling master’s program awards:
- Kastberg Scholarly Achievement Award: Rosalie Harrison
- Bufano Counselor Excellence Award: Shantel Giles
Doctor of nursing practice awards:
- Academic Excellence Award: Ashley Hendershot
Dr. Cynthia McCloskey was given the Daisy Foundation Faculty Award in honor of her exceptional impact on her students and her inspirational influence on their futures. Brett Hogan, RN, MS, ACNP, was given the Clinical Instructor Award, in recognition of his mentorship of senior-level nursing students and vested interest in nurturing students to achieve success.
John Glynn, Elizabeth Rizzo, and Jeffrey Cooper, of the RRH Care Connect Team, were given the Community Partnership Award.