WORCESTER—Last month, Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) celebrated the achievements of more than 90 nursing graduates at its Fall 2024 pinning ceremonies, marking a significant milestone for students entering the health care industry.
Graduates of the program earned an Associate of Science in Nurse Education degree and will be eligible to work as registered nurses after passing the board certification exam.
“Our graduates embody the future of health care in our local community,” said Pat Schmohl, dean of the School of Healthcare, in a press release. “With the ongoing demand for dedicated and qualified nurses, these graduates are entering a profession where their work will profoundly impact both their patients’ lives and the resilience of our local health care system. We are incredibly proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to seeing them make meaningful contributions to the health and well-being of our community.”
The pinning ceremonies, a long-standing tradition in nurse education, symbolize the hard work and dedication required to complete the program.
Priscilla Araujo, class president of the Day Nurse Education Program, described the ceremonies as a “significant rite of passage.” Araujo, a working mother with extensive experience in the health care field as an emergency medical technician and practice manager, pursued nursing to take on greater responsibilities. Pending her board certification, she has already secured a position in the emergency room at UMass Memorial Health.
“QCC’s nursing program is great, and I would absolutely recommend it,” Araujo said in the release. “We learned a lot of pathophysiology, and the professors I recently had really care about students’ emotional health.”
According to Araujo, most of her fellow graduates have also secured employment, highlighting the program’s success in preparing students for the workforce.
