Trine University’s first Associate of Science and Master of Science in nursing graduates,
along with physician assistant and surgical technology graduates, received a welcome
to the healthcare field from the leader of Cameron Health, herself a longtime nurse,
during the university’s fall Commencement on Dec. 12.
Held in the Ryan Concert Hall of the university’s T. Furth Center for Performing Arts,
the ceremony recognized students from the Brooks College of Health Professions who
completed their degrees during the fall semester.
Strong partnership
Lexie Staten, vice president for academic affairs, welcomed the graduates and their
families by thanking them for choosing Trine.
“Take pride in all you’ve accomplished,” she said. “Remember the relationships you
formed, the challenges you met and the education that has prepared you for what comes
next.”
In her address to the graduates, Angie Logan, president and CEO of Cameron Health,
noted that throughout its nearly 100-year history, Cameron has been supported by Trine
University.
“Our organizations have shared and continue to share a common mission: improving quality
of life in this region through education and health care,” she said. “Together and
separately, we have made a powerful impact in the last century.”
She praised “the first results of one of our most meaningful collaborations” — the
first Associate of Science in nursing (ASN) students to graduate as a result of the
partnership between Trine and Cameron. The university’s first Master of Science in
nursing (MSN) graduates also finished this past semester.
Logan said professions such as nursing, surgical technology and physician assistant
are “defined not only by science and skill, but by humanity, presence and the power
of compassion.”
“Remember this: Your work will touch lives in ways you may never fully see, and the
smallest acts can change someone’s entire trajectory,” she commented.
Changing lives
A former acute care nurse and chief nursing officer, Logan said she entered healthcare
because of someone in her life who, after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers,
was left quadriplegic by an accident.
Despite his disability, he went on to scout for the Seattle Mariners, coach the New
Haven High School baseball team to the state championship and start his own business.
“He always said the reason he didn’t give up, the reason he found his way forward,
was because of the caregivers who believed in him and honored what mattered to him,”
she recalled. “If the way you show up for someone can change even one life that drastically,
I wanted to be a part of that.”
She encouraged the graduates to give the same personal attention they received at
Trine to every patient they encounter.
“Patients rarely remember the clinical details, but they do remember the nurse who
warmed [their] blanket, the tech who offered comfort when they were scared, the therapist
who celebrated their progress, the provider who sat down right beside them and listened
instead of rushing, the caregiver who noticed something important and acted, even
without being asked,” she said.
“Years from now, when they tell the story of their hardest time in life, your name
may or may not be spoken, but your kindness will still be with them.”
In closing, she said she was proud to welcome each of the graduates as colleagues.
“Thank you for your commitment to making your community a better place,” she said.
“I cannot wait to see the positive impact we’ll make together as we work to improve
the lives of those around us.”
Endless possibilities
Following the presentation of degrees, which included pinning of the ASN and surgical
technology graduates and hooding of the MSN and physician assistant graduates, Tim
Raftery, president of the Trine University Alumni Association Board of Directors,
inducted the new alumni into the association.
Brielle Bergeron, a Master of Physician Assistant Studies student who was named outstanding
graduate for the Brooks College of Health Professions, gave the response from the
class.
“From the first day of student orientation to the final day of clinical rotations,
each of us has faced moments that tested our limits, but those moments also revealed
our strengths,” she said.
“We started out as eager yet intimidated, newly accepted students in this program,
and have grown with one another into confident, capable and respectful healthcare
professionals. You are all fantastic people who will change numerous lives as providers,
and I am so excited for each and every one of you. Here’s to a future filled with
endless possibilities, meaningful impact and the shared pride of knowing we made it
together.”
