Mount Saint Mary College awards nursing pins to more than 30 students

NEWBURGH — Mount Saint Mary College held a pinning ceremony for more than 30 graduates of the college’s accelerated nursing program on Saturday, December 16.
Michael Olivette, vice president for Academic Affairs, congratulated the graduates on a job well done.
“As accelerated students, getting to this point has been particularly challenging, especially given all the other obligations many of you have had to deal with concurrently with your studies,” said Olivette. “For that, you really should be extra proud."
Keynote speaker Dianne Murphy, Mount nursing professor emerita, gave the graduates advice for their upcoming nursing careers.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it,” she said. “I advise everyone to eventually continue your nursing education, whether it be for specialty certification or master’s degrees in nursing administration, as a nurse anesthetist, a nurse practitioner or in nurse education.”
Nursing award recipients included:
• Liza Ferrante-Murphy of Highland Mills, who was given the General Excellence in Nursing Award; and
• Caroline Geraci of Cornwall-on-Hudson, who received the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award,
Also among the Mount graduates who received their nursing pin on Dec. 16 were:
• Jennifer Gagliardi of Monroe;
• Paige Gennarelli of Monroe; and
• Brittney Jones of Monroe.