By Claire Regan
Her diploma in one hand and a bouquet in the other, registered nurse Kathryn Marie Howard beamed as she posed for photos in front of the iconic façade of Wagner College’s Main Hall.
“It was a tough journey, but I feel resilient and so proud that I finished,” she said.
Howard was one of 42 students who completed Wagner’s graduate program in nursing, earning master’s degrees and the privilege of adding FNP, or Family Nurse Practitioner, to their credentials. Three additional graduates added NE, or Nurse Educator, to their post-nominals.
Degrees were presented on Dec. 11 in the Main Hall Theatre during the first of three ceremonies for three cohorts hosted by the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing.
Howard’s degree represents four years of hard work and determination as she juggled classes on campus, clinical rotations in the field, and a full-time job as a registered nurse in the surgical department of NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn.
But her greatest challenge was the unexpected death of her mother, the Rev. Maggie Howard, two months before starting classes at Wagner in 2020. A pastor and a pillar in the Stapleton community, Rev. Howard was just 56.
“Her death propelled me to get this degree,” said Howard, who carried a silver-framed portrait of her mother to the ceremony. The proud graduate is determined to carry on her mother’s mission of caring for those in need with the goal of opening her own FNP practice.
Patricia Tooker, dean of the Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing, praised the graduates for their “wonderful accomplishment.”
“These are folks who have chosen to come back to school to advance their knowledge and practice,” she stressed with admiration.
Jeffrey A. Doggett, Wagner College president, shared a personal anecdote with the graduates and their guests.
“I grew up in a house with a pediatric nurse – my mother,” he said. “Almost nightly, the phone would ring during dinner, and she would help parents who had nowhere else to turn. I learned first-hand how nurses serve the community doing something they love to do, helping people at their most vulnerable moments.”
As graduates stepped forward for their diplomas, shouts of “That’s my son-in-law!” and “That’s my daughter!” from proud relatives punctuated the applause.
Also at the ceremony, Chaplain Holly Bonner gave the invocation and Brianna Grace Bove delivered the student address.
Awards for academic and vocational accomplishments were presented to Michael Anthony Vigliotti, Dinela Vukovic, Samantha Goon, Boris Smurygin, Mary Jane B. Olsen, Shadeca Rowe, Lyly Lei and Elena Chersky.
DNP COMPLETION CEREMONY
Also on Dec. 11, nine Doctor of Nursing (DNP) candidates presented their capstone projects as part of a graduation ceremony held in the Manzulli Boardroom.
The capstone projects covered diverse topics including cancer susceptibility, childhood tuberculosis screening in Nigeria, identifying autism spectrum disorder in African-American and Hispanic children, and reducing antibiotics overuse for upper respiratory infections.
Established in 2016, Wagner’s DNP program provides the terminal academic preparation for advanced nursing practice and leadership roles in the increasingly complex healthcare system. Eligible students must have completed a master’s degree in nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner.
PINNING CEREMONY
Thirty-one candidates for a bachelor of science degree in nursing were honored during a traditional pinning ceremony on Dec. 12 in Main Hall.
Faculty members placed a pin on each student’s lapel and offered congratulations. The Wagner College nursing pin is a symbol of victory and peace, represented by a palm branch, a sword, a trumpet and an open Bible.
Jenna Rose Graffeo presented the class speech and Hailey E. Cancelleri offered a history of the nursing pins.
Angel Rivera, a U.S. Marine veteran and member of the FDNY, received the RJ Tillman Award, presented annually to a second-degree nursing student who exhibits deep caring, sensitivity and concern for classmates and patients.
A nursing student, RJ Tillman was killed by a hit-and-run driver in February 2012 as he rode his bicycle on Howard Avenue after a study session in the Horrmann Library. A “ghost bike” near Campus Road marks the tragedy.
