Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) commemorated the graduation of 44 nursing students with a special pinning ceremony held on Dec. 14 at the Blue Bell Campus.

MCCC Dean of Health Sciences Cheryl DiLanzo warmly welcomed the families and friends that filled the community room in College Hall to attend the milestone event, while many others watched online via Zoom.

Following the welcoming remarks, Dr. Chae Sweet, Vice President of Academic Affairs, emphasized in her remarks that nursing “is not merely a career; it is a calling to make a positive difference in the many patients who will be in your care.”

“Today we celebrate not only your academic accomplishments but also your compassion and dedication that will define you in the nursing profession,” Dr. Sweet said.

The ceremony’s keynote speaker was MCCC nurse alumna Christine Troyer, RN-BSN, PHRN, CFRN. Upon graduating from MCCC’s nursing program, Troyer started her career in the emergency department at a Level 2 trauma center. She later continued her education to earn her  pre-hospital nursing certification, working for a critical care flight and ground transportation program in Philadelphia. Most recently, she is employed by Penn Medicine and works in the heart and vascular ICU of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She also brought her years of experience back to her alma mater, teaching in MCCC’s nursing program during the past year.

In her speech, Troyer spoke candidly about the benefits and challenges, as well as some humorous aspects of being a nurse.

“You will spend time away from your family in order to serve the families of others. You will experience emotion in way you have not previously considered, and you will find fulfilment in ways that you had never anticipated a job could provide,” she said.

"The rigorous training, countless hours of study and dauntless determination have prepared you for the responsibility that comes with the distinction of becoming a nurse,” she continued. “…Embrace the challenges that come your way, for it is within these challenges that your resilience will shine. As you wear this pin, wear it pride and then wipe it with bleach wipes. Let it serve as a constant reminder of the commitment you made to serve humanity with dedication.”

Following Troyer’s remarks, the student speaker, Helen Pham, spoke about embracing challenges, sharing how she overcame the loss of her beloved grandmother and her struggle with depression to complete the nursing program.

“Having to grieve while being in nursing school was hard,” Pham said. “I felt unmotivated, felt helpless and I was in a very vulnerable spot in my life. My depression got very bad. But, then I thought, ‘I can either sit here and cry all day or I can make my grandmother proud.’ I knew my grandmother would have wanted me to finish school, do great things, be successful, be happy and be the best I could be. I got up the courage and I was determined to finish school.”

Pham described how she sought help from her family and loved ones to overcome her depression. She learned that love and loss are a part of life and that this struggle helped to make her a stronger person.

“Embracing challenges is not just about overcoming them, but it’s also about the personal growth that comes from them. Let us embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, learning and transformation. Nursing school was quite the journey, but in life it’s all about the journey,” she told her peers.

Following Pham’s speech, Dr. Tammi Britt, Assistant Director of Nursing, described the history of the pinning ceremony, and the students recited the International Council of Nurses Pledge. Each graduate then went on the stage to receive their pin.

The fall 2023 graduates include Chloe Acker, Jasmyne Arnold, Kayla Beidler, Bianca Brown, Tierra Brown, Meghan Burns, Jordan Casey, Ami Chrampanis, Sydney Conard, Tamika Davis, Mary DeLorenzo, Grace Diefenderfer, Elizabeth Fedele, David Fox, Brooke Gallus, Emily Gambone, Anna Gibbons, Briana Hardin, Amayrani Higueldo, Sarah Januzelli, Darrian Johnson, Felicia Johnson, Ashley Keenan, Justin Kennedy, Amanda Minor, Hayley Moriarity, Patrick O’Brien, Ossinakachuwu Onu, Fatima Ouadah, Karima Oukaci, Helen Pham, Melissa Pollit, Theresa Radley, Monique Ricketts, Grace Roeder, Rachel Schwendeman, Rachel Scott, Austin Sell, Christian Snyder, Philomena Tabu, Duong Tang, Yarisa Teel, Fallon Wilson, and Whitney Yirenkvi.

Following the ceremony, graduates, families and friends enjoyed refreshments freshly baked by MCCC’s Culinary Arts students.

MCCC nursing graduates are fully prepared to complete the National Council Licensing Examination-Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In 2021-22, MCCC’s pass rate for the NCLEX-RN exam was 92.52%, which exceeded the state rate of 84.37% and the national rate of 79.92%. Most recently, in October 2023, MCCC’s pass rate of the NCLEX-RN exam was 95.35%.

Many of MCCC’s nursing graduates are employed at hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics and other health care settings across Montgomery County and the region. Upon completion of the program, graduates may seamlessly transfer their RN degree to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Some of MCCC’s top transfer schools include Drexel University, Penn State University and Ohio University.

For more information about MCCC’s Nursing Program, visit mc3.edu/nursing and register for one of the upcoming information sessions.