Good evening
i am pleased to declare quinnipiac
university's 2020 virtual commencement
exercise for the school of health
science
school of health sciences and the school
of nursing officially
so while i speak for all of us
and that none of us wanted to be
celebrating in this virtual fashion
we didn't want to be doing it in the
midst of a major storm
but we are nonetheless still incredibly
grateful to have the opportunity to be
together and to celebrate you
the class of 2020.
um and so now it is my privilege to
introduce dr julio
judy olean who is the president of
quinnipiac university
and she will bring you greetings on
behalf of the university
community thank you deborah and good
evening everyone
i'm delighted to be here with you
tonight a stormy evening
i know but one filled with celebration
for this extraordinary milestone in each
of your lives
there's so much you have to be proud of
and i want you to know
that we are truly sad to not being
in person with you today to recognize
your achievements
if you'd asked me back in march when we
finally reunite for your commencement
i would have said late summer or fall is
a pretty good bet
but as we've come to learn these last
six months the one
predictable thing about corbin is just
how
unpredictable life has become because of
it
and while i wish nothing more than to be
standing before you
and your families and friends at the
people's united center
we didn't think it was fair to delay
celebrating your milestone
accomplishments
any longer so let's think of this as an
excuse to have
two parties instead of one first today
in this virtual format and then we hope
again
in person next spring
commencement has always marked an
exciting and perhaps slightly anxious
time for graduates
has come to an end you know just getting
started on writing
a series of new chapters in your life
chapters that will contain
exciting journeys eye-opening
experiences and successes
and perhaps even setbacks that is part
of moving forward
opportunities to impact individuals
communities around you
but as i think about our class of 2020
there is something else special about
you
you and your classmates will forever
have a unique bond that will be etched
in your memories
it was a covert graduating class not a
distinction you strive for
but nonetheless one that was very
impactful
there were hardships and disappointments
you experienced and overcame
over those final six weeks of school
having to adjust your clinical
assignments
dealing with final exams job searches
and perhaps your first first months of
employment
but from these experiences were born
resilience
adaptability a shared bond and
determination to be
strong together as you helped us all
get through this uh to the other side
i was reading a perfect business review
essay about leadership recently
and the author's words struck me as not
only applicable to veteran leaders of
companies and institutions
but to you this class of 2020 as well
the author wrote real leaders are not
born
the ability to help others triumph over
adversity is not written into their
genetic code they are instead made
they are forged in crisis each of you
completed your studies
grad school forged in crisis
and as a result i firmly believe that
you are now starting
this next chapter in your life with a
set of skills perspectives and
leadership qualities
not taught in the classroom but instead
born out of adversity
with bonds that connect you as a
graduating class
in college or in grad school and while
covered will certainly not define your
years here at quinn pierre
it has taught you something about
resilience about
changing course when needed about
controlling what you can control
and about building what that you don't
is
about leaning on others the support we
needed and offering strength to others
when they need it those are really
important building blocks towards
becoming
a leader some people will go through
their entire careers without developing
these qualities so yes
there is a silver lining in this crisis
in what it's taught us about ourselves
forced us to uncover within ourselves
and brought us closer in giving each
other
support and strength let's not lose
those qualities or lessons
let's use them to help improve the lives
of the people you serve the communities
around you
who will be your patients your clients
and our communities need you now more
than ever
we live in times of social and political
polarization
of growing tensions along economic
gender religious
ethnic and racial divides
we're constantly and painfully reminded
as recently as the last couple of days
of the deep divides within our country
around
race relations and social injustice it's
also an urgent
wake-up call that it is time for our
communities
to take the burden of our colleagues who
are black indigenous and people of color
onto our own collective shoulders so
that it is not the day you must again
explain
what they can change rather each of us
must affirm
that black lives matter and we must
commit to actions
that will reverse an entrenched history
of racism
these challenges also present
opportunity which our country
is experiencing through unprecedented
discoveries in medicine
technology services and social
connectors that
if deployed wisely could radically
alleviate these tensions
you are the generation that can achieve
this
you're the future healthcare
professionals scientists and inventors
who will facilitate these positive
developments
reduce suffering and reduce restore
well-being to many
you'll bring health care advances to
people who've lost hope
offering these advances and services to
a broad cross-section of society
especially to vulnerable populations
and you'll improve the quality of life
and challenge the entrenched social
order
that is unequal you're already doing
your part
not surprisingly your talents caring and
dedication
have extended to local and global
communities you've made and donated
hundreds of face masks to local
hospitals and clinics as well as to our
own public safety and facilities
personnel
to protect frontline workers from
calgary
you used your healthcare skills in
homeless shelters
offering basic foot care and health
screenings
you partnered with the hispanic advisory
council of greater stanford
to educate on infant care you've
traveled to places like guatemala
nicaragua ecuador and the dominican
republic
to extend health care and community
support to underserved populations
a student nurses association rates
thousands of dollars
to the american cancer society through
the relay for life
and of course many of our graduate level
nurses and our nbsn and msn students
were on the front lines of the pandemic
providing critical support to local
healthcare facilities
who are in urgent need of their
assistance we're humbled by your
dedication to the greater good
and you accomplished all this while
managing a very hefty course load
we are so proud of you and admiring of
your choices and passions
we appreciate your actions which align
well with quinnipiac's strategic
priority
of nurturing communities one of the four
pillars of our strategic plan
you are each ambitious talented caring
and curious and most importantly you
conduct yourselves with integrity and
decency
as you go forth as quinnipiac alumni i
ask you to help others as you yourself
have been helped along the way
whether mentoring future health
professionals who follow you
stretching your own imagined limits to
become
leaders in medical research in hospitals
or community organizations
reaching out to others who are not as
blessed or fortunate as you
helping solve medical environmental or
social problems
that are our planet's biggest challenges
today
or just reaching out to a child or a
neighbor or elderly resident
who simply needs your care and
compassion
i also encourage you to remain curious
open to the new
to continue learning and growing i have
learned
most from people who are very different
from me with dissimilar skills and
talents world views or upbringing
who were born into very different life
circumstances
be open to those differences and learn
from them
and if we've learned anything during
this pandemic it's that our life can
change
very rapidly we don't know what we'll
need to know in 10 years
in five years and maybe even next year
what we do know
is that to be successful and enlightened
we must be
lifelong learners and we must be adapted
to change
you are lucky and you are gifted and as
john f kennedy
said to those with much is given much is
expected
remember to share your blessings and to
give back
we'll be forever proud of you and will
follow your life's journey
with great interest remain a bobcat for
life
and know that you'll always have a home
here at qu and we hope you come back
often stay connected wherever you land
find ways to remain in touch with your
fellow qu family
remain curious and engaging lifelong
growth and learning
congratulations to the nursing and
health sciences
class of 2020. you've already made your
mark
and we cannot wait to see how you
continue to change the world
thank you so much president olean and
now it's my great pleasure
to introduce our first student speaker
who is brianne stockdale brianne is a
physician
assistant graduate from endicott new
york
welcome brianne take it away
on behalf of graduate student council it
is my pleasure to welcome
everyone to commencement 2020. i know
this is not how
anyone planned on graduating but do not
let that overshadow all the hard work
and achieving such a huge accomplishment
of earning our degrees congratulations
class of 2020.
it has been my honor to serve as
graduate student council president
and collaborate with individuals from
all programs bringing your ideas to life
and pursuit of bettering members of the
queue community
and university i have been lucky enough
to call quinnipiac home for the last six
years
when i started as a freshman i was a shy
kid from a rural town with a population
smaller than that of quinnipiac
needless to say i have never imagined
the way
my journey has unfolded from that first
day as a shy kid
to today as i reflect on my time at qu
i realized that many of the most
rewarding experiences in college
came from stepping out of my comfort
zone
as a class of 2020 i challenge you all
to use the skills knowledge and
experience you have gained to become
comfortable with being uncomfortable if
i have learned anything at all
is opportunities will quickly pass us by
if we sit or we feel safe
in that place we call our comfort zone
there is so much personal growth
that will come from going beyond our
comfort zone from doing things that may
seem terrifying at first
we are all much more capable than we
realize
but we won't come to realizing our true
potential if we don't challenge
ourselves
life would be boring without challenges
and if everything were easy
then everyone would be doing the same
thing here is another way to think of it
our comfort zones are the training
wheels and we have proven that we can
ride a bike without them
so push yourselves to take on the
unknown lean into things that are
uncomfortable
and don't hold yourself back and rip off
those training wheels
quinnipiac has prepared us to each enter
the next chapter of our lives
with what we have getting to take on
adversity head on
as compassionate knowledgeable
resourceful and flexible professionals
that said it is our turn to be the
leaders this world needs
minus the training wheels
congratulations class of 2020.
thank you so much brianna and
congratulations to you
it's now my great pleasure to introduce
dr janelle chasera she is the dean of
the school of health sciences
and she will introduce our commencement
speaker
thank you provost leibowitz and now it's
my pleasure
and honor to introduce dr james e
schmerling
president and ceo of the connecticut
children's medical center in hartford
for more than 30 years he has served in
management roles at children's hospitals
and is
nationally recognized as a leader in
issues concerning children's health
and wellness dr schmerling thank you for
being here with us this evening
ah it worked
president olian provost leibowitz uh
dean chizera dean o'connor
faculty parents and especially the class
of 2020.
thank you for inviting me to your
commencement celebration
it's truly an honor for me to be a
participant in this critical milestone
in your lives
albeit in this very unique and novel
ceremony
i've participated in a number of nursing
school health sciences and medical
school graduations over the years
but never through a technology called
zoom this is a first
and while i do miss the actual pomp and
circumstances of wearing cap and gown
admiring the graduating class marching
down the aisle as well as the prestige
of the president and deans and faculty
and
vips taking their place on the podium
there is a silver lining invariably when
i've been on a podium
there always seems to be a breeze that
finds me
admires my cap and then attempts to
carry it off somewhere
far from my head i spend most of the
ceremony with one hand on my head to
keep my cap on and centered
all while holding a program in the other
so my first message of the day is
always look for the silver lining i
think one of the reasons i was invited
to address you this afternoon was that
i've been in health
the health care field for actually over
40 years this is my 42nd year
in various leadership roles and i do
have a few stories to tell that
hopefully you'll find helpful i should
warn you though
in the words of mark train when i was
younger
i could remember anything whether it
happened or not
well most of my stories are true and to
the best of my memory
these are the experiences that i've had
that i'll share with you now
there's several stories i want to share
with you about this evening all but
based upon
three characteristics that have
accompanied me throughout my career
their fear courage and hope
here we are in 2020 experiencing all
three of these emotions
as we deal with covet racial inequities
and an economic crisis
all the while trying to preserve our
faith and hope that somehow
we'll manage through this and get
through all of these challenges
my first story actually starts uh even
before my career before i was born
with my grandparents my grandparents
were
immigrants from russia that came over to
the united states
is the first of the century if you've
ever watched the play or the movie
fiddler on the roof
that was their story and their
experience they suffered extreme
prejudice
and persecution somehow my parents found
their way
to new york landing at ellis island and
from there traveled down
to the deep south and began their
american dream
in augusta georgia my father was born
there in 1927
and at the age of 16. he left augusta
for nashville tennessee to attend
vanderbilt university
when he graduated at the age of 20 his
dream was to attend medical school in
his hometown
at the medical college of georgia
unfortunately in 1947
the medical college of georgia did not
accept women
blacks or jews so he returned to
vanderbilt
who had a more liberal admissions policy
at that time they were
accepting a small quota of women two per
class
and they were accepting two jewish
students per class but still
no african americans parenthetically it
wasn't until 1966 when the first black
students were accepted into the medical
school
now i know this is a far cry from the
inclusive policies of quinnipiac today
but that was the reality back then our
own
medical profession limited access to
training which in turn resulted in
limiting access
for those who were underserved my father
completed his medical school training
and then after
his internal medicine residency in st
louis he returned to nashville
to start his practice this was in 1954
and by the time
he got there he had one child that was
me
and one more on the way already having
personally experienced discrimination he
was determined to establish a practice
in the poorest and most underserved part
of the community
located in east nashville at the age of
27 he created the first
integrated practice in nashville
in 1954 there was no medicare or
medicaid
so his patients either had money to pay
or were indigent with no means of
payment
so often we pay in vegetables or fruits
grown on their farms
i remember my mother taking these
amazing cucumbers and making homemade
pickles
well we never talked about the
challenges establishing his practice
our mother shared a number of stories
about his courage at the time
once he had a patient who was sitting in
his waiting room who got up to tell the
receptionist that he refused to sit in
the same room
with these and he used the n-word people
my father came out of his exam room took
out a prescription pad
and wrote down the name and address of a
different physician
he handed the note to his white pain
patient
and suggested that this other physician
would be much better fit for him
this occurred in the early 60s and if
you recall the south was not an easy
place to live if you were a person of
color
or someone who fought for more fair and
equitable treatment
my father was threatened but he stood
his ground
he provided me and my three siblings
with a moral compass
that has guided me throughout my career
he certainly must have been frightened
for his own safety and that of his staff
and his family but he persevered he
instilled in us a sense of hope
that if you do the right thing even in
the face of adversity
and potential danger you can still make
a huge difference in people's lives
throughout my career i've attempted to
ensure that my own management team our
board of directors and our staff
reflect the community that we serve the
message of inclusivity is an important
one that we must all heed
our health care system has made a lot of
progress but there's still much work to
be done
we have to overcome what fear of change
we cling to
and have the courage to ensure
inclusivity
embrace diversity and equity for our
providers patients and our community
it is vital today as it was back then
fear courage and hope
my second story takes place at the riley
hospital for children
in indianapolis indiana this is a
children's hospital that was part of the
indiana
university health system some of you may
recall a young high school student from
kokomo indiana
named brian white ryan was a hemophiliac
who became infected with hiv from a
contaminated factor eight blood
treatment
he was diagnosed in 1984 and even though
his physician said he posed no risk to
other students
there was so much fear that the parents
of his classmates
and his teachers and even school
leadership would not allow him back into
the classroom
this was a time when there was no
testing of blood supplies
to prevent transmission of hiv there
were no medications or vaccines
even though his mother was told ryan
only had six months to live
he did live for five more years and
almost made it to his high school
graduation
i was the executive director of that
hospital during that time
i can't help but remember the tremendous
courage that ryan exhibited throughout
that
and endure i also recall how brave the
healthcare professionals were who cared
for him
this was a deadly disease that wasn't
clearly understood
and yet everyone rallied to care for
this young teenager
our physicians were not only providing
great clinical care given the
limitations they had at the time
but also as medical scientists they
continued searching for answers
always remaining hopeful that we would
discover a treatment that would save
ryan's life
in the meantime even though facing this
frightening illness
ryan became a spokesperson for all of
those suffering from hiv
here was an innocent teenager facing
down his fears of death
while simultaneously providing
understanding and hope throughout the
country
does this sound a little familiar the
parallels
between the 1980s and the scare of hiv
in the 80s and 90s and the coronavirus
in 2020 are really airy
as healthcare professionals it's
incumbent on us to learn from our
historical experiences
and remember how we overcame previous
deadly and fearsome
diseases and apply that same courage and
optimism to guide us now
probably in the years to come some of
you are going to look back on 2020
and refer to these as the good old days
when we conquered the coronavirus
you'll be on the front lines just as the
staff were at riley
carrying what seems to be an
insurmountable disease
but just as your predecessors did you
will overcome those fears
and offer hope to your patients and
their families and
sometimes even to your own peers
my final story takes place back in
nashville tennessee
i returned to nashville in 2002 to
become the executive director and ceo
of the freestanding children's hospital
at vanderbilt the monroe carroll junior
children's hospital while there we began
a tradition of recognizing our
healthcare professionals
by hosting a service in our hospital
chapel the hospital chaplain and i would
host
a washing of hands ceremony the chaplain
would offer a prayer of thanks
and we would gently pour water on the
hands of all of our staff and thank him
or her for accepting the tremendous
responsibility of caring for
treating comforting and supporting our
patients
there can be no greater compliment to
someone's professional expertise
than a family member who is willing to
turn their loved ones health and
sometimes even their life
over to your care given what's happening
today with cobit 19
we hear about the amazing care and
support being provided by hospital
staffs all over the country
they're risking their own safety to care
for others
in many cases because of the limitations
of visitors
their care team is not only providing
clinical care but often becoming an
extended family member
in some cases they become the confident
of the patient and their families
often carrying message messages to and
from the patient
in some cases they hold the hand of the
patient who's taking their last breath
so the patient won't die alone they put
aside their own personal fears
and courageously support their patient
and the family
all the while maintaining hope that a
more efficacious treatment can be found
to heal those patients
who are infected by covet and hopefully
ultimately
find a vaccine that can be offered
there is one story that's being written
as we all sit here this afternoon
today we're facing several crises
simultaneously
the coronavirus which has proven to be
so virulent and disruptive
our movement for racial equity
inclusiveness and justice
and an economic crisis putting millions
of people out of work
so what does this have to do with all of
us today
everything as we look at the morbidity
and mortality of the coronavirus
we know that it's disproportionately
impacting people of color
and other minorities 30 percent of covet
19 patients are african-american
even though african-americans only make
up about 13 percent of the population
in the united states in states like
wisconsin
it's worse african americans represent
only six percent of the population
but nearly 40 percent of the cohort 19
fatalities
here in connecticut african americans
represent 12 percent of connecticut's
population
but make up 18 of those all of those who
are contracting the virus
and 15 of those whose deaths were linked
to it
coronavirus is not an equal opportunity
equalizer
but rather a magnifier of inequality
this pandemic is amplifying pre-existing
social inequities that are tied to race
class and access to our health care
system
the story is still being written all of
us who are in the health care field are
on the front lines
whether we provide direct patient care
or we support it
it's okay to be afraid courage is not
the absence of fear
but rather the ability to face it head
on i urge you to have the courage to
continue learning
improving upon and expanding your
current skills
just as my father did in the 50s ryan
mike did in the 80s
and our nurses and health care
professionals are doing today
we must not only restore our patients to
health but do what we can to preserve it
that means stepping out of our
traditional medical model and
challenging the status quo
addressing the social determinants of
health which can either impede
or improve the health of our community
coronavirus
has disrupted all of our lives in many
ways but we should all hear
heed the words of martin luther king jr
we must accept
finite disappointment but we must never
lose
infinite hope it's your turn now to
accept the challenges in front of you
meet fear with courage and above all
remain hopeful
create the new normal you're ready you
have a degree from quinnipiac
you're now armed with the tools you need
to make a difference
we're all counting on you
congratulations i wish you the best
thank you
thank you dr schmerling for your words
your powerful stories and your
encouragement for our grads
thank you once again for being here with
us today
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree
of master of science health science
biomedical
sciences from the school of health
sciences
carne shahadwell
justin goh justin was a recipient of the
academic excellence award
mirai hashimoto
alexis small
melanie kate says hajj
matthew scott warner
madam president i have the honor to
present from the school of health
sciences
candidates for the degree of master of
health science
biomedical sciences
uh by the power vested in me by the
board of trustees
i hereby confer upon you the degree of
master of health science
advanced medical imaging
and leadership with all of the
privileges and rights pertaining there
too
i want to congratulate our uh graduates
for this remarkable accomplishment
i am pleased to introduce the candidate
the degree master of health pathologists
from the school of health sciences
victoria lee victoria
the recipient of the dr kenneth the
collusion award
patrick raymond ryan
madam president i have the honor to
present
the school of health sciences candidates
for the degree master of health science
pathologist assistant
thank you dean chiacera by the power
vested in me
by the board of trustees i hereby confer
upon
our graduates the degree of master of
health science
pathologist assistants congratulations
to our graduates with all of the
privileges
and rights pertaining there too
i am i'm pleased to introduce the
candidates for degree
master of health science physician
assistant
from the school of health science
thomas michael fedor bolding
eric jane
maggie ellen gm valvo
ann hugh
john philip narrow
mary reedy
aaron danielle shiro
brianna nicole stockdale
julia nicole vanessa julia was the
recipient of the academic excellence
award
madam president i have the honor to
present from the school of health
sciences candidates for the degree
master of health science physician
assistant
thank you dean chessera by the power
vested in me by the board of trustees
i hereby confer upon our graduates
the degree of master of health science
physicians
assistants with all of the rights and
privileges pertaining there too
congratulations graduates
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree
of master of health science radiologist
assistant
from the school of health sciences
kirsten lee homan
madam president i had the honor to
present from the school of health
sciences the candidate for the degree
of master of health science radiologist
assistant
thank you sarah to
uh graduate by the power vested in me
by the board of trustees i hereby confer
upon you the degree of
master of health sciences radiology
assistant
congratulations
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree of master of occupational
therapy from the school of health
sciences
jamie claire eisenberg berger
nicole ashley boris
jessica ashley britton
morgan jillian chasera
helena abigail valente cruz
ann demaio
michaela ann galli
kelly marie gorman
abigail hannah herrmann
valerie kordakovsky
amy elizabeth leggio
julia danielle lieberman
lauren stacy mayer
hannah marion mayer
brooke lauren newman
kayla alice raider
samantha nicole scalibrini
brianna lynn scotty
danielle eleanor ventre
kelly lynn winterbottom
graciana maria zito
madam president i have the honor to
present from the school of health
science
candidates for the degree of master of
occupational therapy
thank you dean chessera to our graduates
by the power vested in me by the board
of trustees i hereby confer upon you the
degree of
master of occupational therapy with all
of the rights
and privileges pertaining thereto
congratulations
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree
master of social work from the school of
health sciences
julia ray cote
elizabeth decanto elizabeth was the
recipient of the academic excellence
award
gabriella marie demasi
domina dibias
jonisha laquay lafrazier
marlena rose maglieri
maliha muskeg
juliana r palmieri
rose panzo
angela m pascal
madam president i have the honor to
present from the school of health
sciences
candidates for the degree of master of
social work
thank you dean chisera by the power
vested in me
by the board of regents i hereby confer
upon
our graduates the degree of master of
social work
with all of the rights and privileges
pertaining thereto
congratulations graduates
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree
of occupational therapy doctorate from
the school of health sciences
louisa eminov
carolyn l brown carolyn was the
recipient of the post-professional
doctor of occupational therapy award
courtney elaine kelps
cassandra marie nelson
valerie e becker strange
rosanna c tefano
roberta whalen
madam president i have the honor to
present from the school of health
sciences candidates for the degree
occupational therapy doctorate
thank you sarah by the power vested in
me by the board of regents
i hereby confer upon our graduates
the degree of occupational therapy
doctorate and all of the rights and
privileges pertaining thereto
graduates
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree
doctor of physical therapy from the
school of health sciences
elisa michelle caliendo
emily gracie quesada
chazoma raquel shima
nicholas peter chilek
emily jane cerullo
lindsay elizabeth kochewski
gianna marie corso
elizabeth tesler dylan
angelique sierra dennati
nicholas paul finale
jessica lynn fontaine
megan eileen gallagher
ainsley marilyn gilbert
sydney taylor goyatt
sydney fallon grossman
megan elizabeth hall
emily rose george
courtney jennifer kent
bridget laura kiernan bridget was the
recipient of the mark
f tantorski memorial award
craig joseph matson
deirdre jane mcpartlin
kaylie marie mead
michelle velope merwin
taylor christine o'sullivan
catherine renee pereira
carolyn joanne rangel
samantha speziel
abigail elizabeth spooner
naomi joy trimble
catherine a wanta
franklin joseph webster
richard h wood
madam president i have the honor to
present from the school of health
sciences
candidates for the degree doctor of
physical therapy
graduates by the power vested in me by
the
board of trustees i hereby confer upon
you the degree of
doctor of physical therapy with all of
the rights and privileges
pertaining thereto congratulations
graduates
i am pleased to introduce the candidates
for the degree of bachelor of science
from the school of health sciences
allison ann abramsky
erica adams
samantha scarrett at zijian
alex william alicia
jimmy alvarado
alexis anne engel
ashley marion aurori
gabrielle marie auger
james theodore babinski
samantha elizabeth bacon
amanda lauren baker
savannah dorothy barissian
jacqueline and barry
julie ann barthelmus julie was the
recipient of the president's scholarship
award in the alumni association
undergraduate academic achievement award
julia lynn basso
sabrina bastos
xenia lee baumert
angela marie besso
jessica catherine bell
colin michael bemis
amber cordelie bennings
jacqueline patricia berlini jacqueline
was the recipient
of the president's scholarship award and
the alumni association undergraduate
academic achievement award
john ryan best
amanda may begin amanda was the
recipient of the president's scholarship
award and alumni association
undergraduate
academic achievement award
emily taylor billings
katherine vera blackwood
amanda christine blum
jessica lynn bonner
alyssa brana alyssa was the recipient of
the president's scholarship award
crystal ann brighton
cynthia rachel britto
ali r brown
allison zimmerman brown
emily marie brown
gianna louise brusca
caitlyn m buffa
madison emily balera
dwight michael burns
julianne ayla kanoen
cassidy beverly caputo
sydney ann caputo
faith renee corelli faith was the
recipient of the biomedical sciences
achievement award
reagan elizabeth cassarella
marisa elizabeth cantonzarro
nicole chamberlain
stephanie sambika siobhan kaelin she
christina sil cho
erica rachel cevercia
erica elizabeth connachie
devin doreen cormier
cassidy rose korea
gianna kerry catugno
kelsey coughlin
aaliyah cyen council aliyah was
the recipient of the graham scholar
award
kayla marie crinsenzo
rachel crosby
megan crowley raphael victor daniel
amitra natacha davies
chelsea noel davis
rachel elizabeth davis
yanina nanoska de la torre
gabriella mary decker
alyssa m demoulie
robert john tepepo jr
m devaney
morgan elizabeth devlin
elizabeth aaron wong do
cameron margaret diaz
dana marie demarco
ariana dominica d pietro antonio
danielle j disick
keeley bridget donahue keely was the
awardee of the diagnostic medical
signography achievement award
cameron bruce doyle
mackenzie nicole egan
sebastian a eulek
aaron elizabeth fahey
emily rose i schultz
teresa christina fava
rachel ann faring
julia rose fenton
rebecca nicole ferlazzo
nicholas carl fiorentino
lana e fishman
lee christine fitzsimmon
catherine jane flynn
randall s frank
daniel w friedman
megan rachel futterman
morgan alexandra gelfand
emmett michael garrity
sarah rose gershman
erica taylor givery
danielle jordan goldberg
tara ann golding
megan virginia grandel
claire marion gravina
emily kiernan gunther
christina guzman
karishma deepak herjani
elena elizabeth harvey
brittany lynn haversat
madison ann hendry
natalie alexandra henry
danielle marie herrmann
mallory alexis herrick
sarah paige hoyce
anna christine leshko
lauren elizabeth holzer
amanda m hunt
h hunter
rebecca n infocena
molly shannon janelle
christian m kearney
allison lauren kelly
michaela r kildum
carly rae klemeck
frank kalami
sarah jennifer kramer
molly ann lucas
angela theresa larson
cassie page liked
kirsten francis leon
jonathan g lazama
tess tessa elizabeth laundegren
aaron margaret lopez
kailyn ann ludwig
danielle joanne macedo catherine
elizabeth machinchick
caitlyn nicole mahoney
adriana marissa mancini adriana is the
recipient of the harold potts memorial
physical therapy award
shannon lee martin
colleen mary martin
megan kayla martin
emily rose marzano
alexander marshall mass alexander was
the recipient of
the president scholarship award the
alumni association undergraduate
academic achievement award
and the health science studies student
achievement award
christina emily matacek
scott michael matavich jr
danielle mccormick
kathleen marie mcglynn kathleen is the
recipient of the radiologic sciences
student achievement award
jane marie mcnoble jane
is the recipient of the president's
scholarship award and the alumni
association undergraduate academic
achievement award
alexandra lee mayo
brittany celine michael
elizabeth claire miller
melissa karina mina
zoe monteforte
rihanna hope moriarty
manar manir mubarak
alyssa marie natale
kayla juliana goin
courtney paige nissel
nicholas tommaso noto
claire maureen o'brien
tara catherine o'keefe
john edward opie
corinne allison palumbo
nicholas john penatti
maria angelina pinsari
lauren elizabeth picard
colin hayden katori
taylor m pizzamenti
emma justine polshock
ryan matthew purdy
tory ram rotten
naomi rebecca riscotti
jessica rose russiniti
cassandra elea reyes
delilah rios
brian osvaldo rivera
caitlyn marie roberts
dawn renee roshan don is the recipient
of the president's scholarship award
the alumni association undergraduate
academic achievement award
and the occupational therapy academic
achievement award
alison lynn rogolewski
emily rachel romero
riley ann renfola
michael joseph savella
samir enriquez and martin
catherine elizabeth sapienza
jenna nicole scambia
julia m chavone
rachel dana schleck
kiera ann scott
grace marie senra grace is the recipient
of the cardinal joseph vernon
excuse me bernardin distinguished
service award
raya cower sethi
miriam slattery
hannah marie slocum
melissa tanya solomon
elizabeth noelle songer
cassidy marie spencer
remy arcadie spires
emily frances spring
megan e stanczyk
nicole marie steffen
megan nicole stocker
hannah gabriela story
emily bernadette taft
jordan elizabeth tolenda
rachel j taylor
samantha gene thoreau
olivia ann trombly
jake thomas trotter
julia trudeau samantha velasquez
gianna n verde
celia elaine vincent
samantha marie vitale
james patrick walsh
jonte l walters
jayden shay ward
alyssa jacqueline wendellowski
ava rose wright
president i have the honor to present
from the school of health sciences
candidates for the degree
bachelor of science
congratulations graduates
by the power vested in me by the board
of trustees i hereby confer upon you
the degree of bachelor of science
with all of the rights and privileges
pertaining
to hearty congratulations
congratulations graduates
i would like this opportunity to
congratulate
all of our graduates whose names you see
scrolling now
we are incredibly proud of you and you
should be very proud of what you have
accomplished
in extraordinary times you have
graduated from some of the most
rigorous programs during some of the
most challenging times
you have shown strength flexibility and
resilience
and i encourage you to use that as a
strength as you transition into your
professional lives
this is an important next step for you
as you transition to being the next wave
of change agents within your given
fields
as you transition to graduate programs
and as you go out into our society
now more than ever we need leaders like
you leaders
equipped with critical thinking skills
scholarly competencies and leadership
skills
essential to change the future the
scholarly accomplishment represents
a substantial milestone in your personal
and professional development
and that development will continue from
here forward
as you continue on i hope that you will
remain connected to us
connected to your friends and to your
classmates as we are really truly
interested
in your future accomplishments and what
you actually aspire to
i know that you will do amazing things
please do stay active in the bobcat
community
be safe be well and stay bobcat strong
congratulations once again
thank you dean chacera and
congratulations to all of the graduates
in the school of health sciences
you know hope you take this moment to
really be
you know take stock of what you've
accomplished and
and um to kind of own your
accomplishment it's now my great
great pleasure to turn to uh
the graduates from the school of nursing
and to kick us off there i will
introduce dr
lisa o'connor who is the dean of the
school of nursing
thank you provost liebowitz good evening
everybody
i'm pleased to introduce to you the
candidates
for the degree of master of science in
nursing
from the school of nursing alyssa
catherine castagna
tina luarte rodriguez
greta allison lowe
greta is the recipient of the benjamin
and julia truan award
for academic excellence in nursing
jillian marie murray du shane
kristen allison williams
madam president i have the honor to
present
to you from the school of nursing
candidates for the degree
of master of science in nursing
thank you dean o'connor
to all of our graduates by the power
vested in me by the board of trustees
i hereby confer upon you the degree of
master
of science in nursing with all the
rights and privileges pertaining thereto
congratulations graduates
i am pleased now to introduce the
candidates
for the degree of doctor of nursing
practice from the school of nursing
lucille austria
sandra mckelvey bacon
sandra is the recipient of the benjamin
and juliet truan award
for professional leadership in nursing
myra kellum branch
navina l charles
patricia a dempsey
iva rose marie ervin stanberry
paul thomas fidrich
natasha lisa julian
reyna jean liwock
alexa miller
alicia adair murray
quanto tai nguyen
flora bell ocampo mitsuolo
nancy patel
megan peruki
stephanie g tingle
donna marie sanchez
madam president i have the honor to
present to you from the school of
nursing
candidates for the degree doctor of
nursing practice
thank you dean o'connor to the graduates
by the power vested in me by the board
of trustees
i hereby confer upon you the degree of
doctor of nursing practice with
all of the rights and privileges
pertaining thereto
congratulations graduates
thank you i'm now pleased to introduce
the candidates for the degree
of bachelor of science in nursing from
the school
of nursing
emily louise adams
haley rose albano
emily elizabeth alieri
caitlin elizabeth amoya
sarah clarissa bayless
hannah helen benson
caitlin taylor berlanga
isabelle burliner
madison ruth birmingham
emily joyce bonner
quinn lakin bouchard
catherine coffin brendamuel
gabriela marie bruno
lauren elizabeth capone
emily suzanne karitza
alexandra rose cassell
alyssa marie ciarello
megan teresa coakley megan is the
recipient
of the outstanding senior award and the
benjamin and julia truan award
for professional leadership in nursing
quality comerford
gianna lou coppola
hadassah rachel cormier
andrew j cosenza
nicole marie davey
kyle patrick dineen kyle is the
recipient of the alumni association
undergraduate academic achievement award
and the benjamin and juliet truan award
for academic excellence in nursing
thomas dotto
sophia ray door
mackenzie lee eggleston
rachel shaw iman
lillian abigail federerson
lily taylor ferrucci
rebecca ferrucci
brianna ashley fitzgerald
melissa a frabosilo
sabine leona gallipow
nicole elizabeth janari
emma taylor hall
cassandra lynn helms
caroline elizabeth ix
julia b johnson
emily keyes
beau la kim
stephen a koprosky
morgan ashley mattel
brianna rose mccormack
maria medina
julia bate miles
kevin no new year
taylor ann o'brien
shannon austerly
jessica aldemaira osorio perez
tessa marie ostermann
ashley morgan palmer
david allen pabson jr
caitlin rose patrick
arena sarah pfeiffer
taylor rose pirro
emma rose raboyne emma is the recipient
of the holistic nursing practice award
anisha reeves
nicole f rajelski
alexa petrina reach
emma grace rosari
gabriella rutigliano
casey hannah tade
sarah teresa santo
kaylee nicole santos
peter kurt schultz
gabriella rose slucka
caitlin beside smith
aaron marie st john
lucas john sumby
courtney elise thurber
jacqueline elizabeth vitero
michelle anna wagner
meredith rachel weinerman
sarah elizabeth wilcox
madison tyler zayas
madam president i have the honor to
present
from the school of nursing candidates
for the degree
of bachelor of science in nursing
dean o'connor thank you to our graduates
by the power vested in me by the board
of trustees
i hereby confer upon you the degree of
bachelor of science in nursing with all
of the rights and privileges
pertaining thereto congratulations
graduates
thank you president ollian
the bobcat community is so very proud of
all of you
your final months at quinnipiac were
nothing short of unpredictable
challenging you at every turn but you
persevered you made it through
to all of the health science and nursing
graduates joining us tonight
celebrate you have put your heart and
soul into this work
the healthcare industry is so fortunate
to have you
in your intelligence your competency
your adaptability
your ability to work in
interprofessional teams
you will make a difference in everyone
and every life that you've touched going
forward
for many of you this has already started
on behalf of our nursing and health
sciences communities
congratulations again class of 2020 we
know you will all do
amazing things please stay an active
part
of bobcat nation provost levelwoods
thank you very much dean o'connor and
congratulations to all of the graduates
from the school of nursing
it is my pleasure now to introduce our
second student speaker
megan coakley megan is a newly
licensed registered nurse and a graduate
of the bachelor of science in nursing
program
she is from walpole massachusetts
take it away megan thank you
good evening everyone it is my pleasure
to welcome all graduates
family friends faculty staff and special
guests
i feel so grateful and blessed to be
able to have the opportunity to speak
with you today
i would like to start by congratulating
all graduate and undergraduate students
for completing the rigorous course in
field work required to obtain our
degrees
this was not a small feat every hardship
we have experienced
has led us to this point today they say
good things come to those who wait
but i say better things come to those
who work for it
we did it and now it is up to us you
have reached the summit and the new day
beckons you to embrace it as you embark
on new beginnings
i would especially like to congratulate
my fellow students from the school of
nursing
and the school of health science class
of 2020.
the four long years of late night
studying early morning clinical
and sacrificing parts of our college
experience in order to succeed has
finally paid off
one thing that kept me going during the
hard times of nursing school was this
nursing and health science students do
not study to pass a test
we started to prepare to become the
patient advocate who is making
life-saving decisions
i hope each of you take this statement
as motivation for our careers
although we are done with undergraduate
school we will continuously be learning
and studying throughout our careers
i feel so fortunate to be able to be
graduating from a university
that focused on an interprofessional
learning curriculum
if this year has taught us anything it
has taught us to never take anything for
granted
we left for spring break and never came
back to enjoy the rest of our time at
quinnipiac
it was heartbreaking to never be able to
sit next to our best friends in class
again
without even knowing it at the time
but i missed the hard loss of our last
three months of college that were
planned to be the most fun of all
we still have things to be thankful for
although we miss so many fun
so many events we have also done so many
things
we have hiked the sleeping giant to the
top just like we have climbed through
college until
the very end we have come together as a
university
and raised thousands of dollars for
connecticut children's medical center
despite not being able to have an
in-person coupon
we have danced our hearts out with our
best friends at auntie's during theme
senior fridays
we have cheered proudly at the qu versus
yale ice hockey game
i would like you all to think not about
what you have missed but what you have
accomplished
from gathering at the bobcat that first
night of freshman year
to virtually graduating months later
than anticipated
i am so grateful for every minute of our
college experience
and i hope you are too quinnipiac
university has given us a home away from
home
experiences of a lifetime and a passion
to never give up on our dreams
a piece of my heart will always be at qu
how lucky i am to make saying i'll see
you later so hard
because it is not goodbye we will be
back we are always a part of bobcat
nation
i would like to thank our hard-working
and dedicated faculty and staff
i have never seen a group of
professionals drop everything and work
together to smoothly transition courses
to online
yet still make sure we were completing
all of our requirements
prior to graduation you have helped
shape us into the safe practicing
and compassionate nurses and health care
professionals that we are today
when they said 2020 was the year of the
nurse boy were they right
if you would have told me that at the
beginning of this year that i would be
starting my career as a new graduate
nurse during a global pandemic
i wouldn't believe you when our
grandkids ask
us about 2020 sure we can say it was the
year of the cobin 19 pandemic
it was at its peak but it was also the
year which we graduated college and
finally became registered nurses
and healthcare professional
professionals and no one can take that
away from us
we are the next generation of nurses and
healthcare professionals
and we are going to blaze new trails in
the healthcare field
the things i love most about nursing are
its diversity autonomy
and freedom to change and save lives in
so many different ways
in front of me today are the future
lifesavers of our nation
and that deserves a thank you
thank you to the labor and delivery
nurse who today has to take photos of
mom
dad and new baby because there is no one
to capture this once in a lifetime
moment
thank you to the covet icu nurse who
will be the only source of compassionate
physical touch
with your patient who is battling for
their life and who hasn't seen their own
family in weeks
thank you to the long-term care nurse
who today sits with their elderly
patient by the window so they can see
their significant other through the
glass
thank you to the oncology nurse who
works tirelessly and today is even more
cautious with infection control measures
due to their patient being
immunosuppressed there are so many other
thank yous i would like to give
if i had enough time i would spend all
day thanking all of you wonderful
nurses who have and will impact the
lives of others each and every day
what a blessing and a privilege it is to
be able to bring a new life
into the world as well as hold the hand
of a patient on their last day
as nurses we relieve suffering as well
as heal
heal and care unconditionally we make
patients at the worst time of their life
laugh
and we cry behind closed doors every
nurse has that one patient that they
will remember forever
but patients also have that one nurse
that they will never forget
be that unforgettable nurse i leave you
today with some advice
from my nurses be nice to your cnas
because behind every nurse is a running
cna
next protect your patients we must
advocate for all of our patients not
because they are someone's mother
or father or sister or brother but
because they are someone
independently to graduates of all health
professions
try to find the good in every day have
courage and be kind
you never know how much one small act
can change a person's life for the
better
the world is yours go after it and never
give up on your dreams
to the class of 2020 strength diligence
and perseverance have delivered you to
this graduation day
it has been your character and spirit
with the commitment to moving forward
despite challenges in the social world
in an unprecedented precedent pandemic
that have allowed us today's
congratulations keep shining bobcats
forever and always
we are bobcat strong thank you
thank you so much megan that was a
perfect way to
uh close the this celebration of
all of your accomplishments um just uh
want to let you know that i'm thrilled
that we have made it through
uh this ceremony in the midst of the
storm
and power has gone out on campus and
other kinds of things are going on in
the back
on the backside we've had a little
glitch in the slideshow as a result and
i
there are a few students from the school
of health sciences
um where we lost that part of the show
so we'll be in touch um with
to share the slides and also about
announcing names separately
so with that on behalf of president
olian
and the entire university i offer
congratulations to the class of 2020.
as we conclude today's ceremony i really
want to thank you
for all of your patience with the
challenges
of doing this virtually and also in the
midst of the storm
it is our sincere hope that you are able
to celebrate
and enjoy the culmination of your time
with us here at quinnipiac
and we look forward to hearing about
the incredible work you're going to do
and
you know keeping you engaged as
a lifelong member of the bobcat nation
congratulations graduates
you
