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On May 15, 2025, Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) celebrated the accomplishments of its Class of 2025 Associate Degree in Nursing graduates at their traditional pinning ceremony. The pinning ceremony, held at Mount Fitness on the Gardner campus, marks a significant milestone in the journey of these dedicated nursing students as they transition from academic preparation to professional practice.
Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences and MWCC Alumna Kim Shea welcomed guests and congratulated students saying, “Today is a day of celebration and recognition of your perseverance, resilience, and unwavering dedication. Over the past two years, you have taken one of the most rigorous and demanding programs in higher ed. The curriculum challenged you; the clinical hours stretched you; and the exams tested every ounce of your knowledge and determination. Through every triumph and trial, you were never alone, we saw your strength and we saw you. You gave grace to one another, and you led with compassion. You fought for this, and you won.”
“Thank you for choosing to become a nurse in this moment of history,” Shea added. “You chose this path with open hearts and open minds. Your decision will have a lasting impact; you will care for strangers in their most vulnerable moments, you will comfort families, advocate for the voiceless, and serve your communities. What you do will ripple out, creating change not just in your life, but in the lives of many.”
The ceremony, attended by faculty, staff, families, and friends, highlighted the dedication, hard work, and resilience of the graduates throughout their nursing education. Each graduate was individually recognized and presented with a nursing pin, symbolizing their readiness to uphold the highest standards of patient care, compassion, and professionalism. The students shared words of thanks with those who supported them through their education.
Francisco Montoya was pinned by Laura Nowick, his high school special education teacher. “Miss Nowick, your inspiring work in special education and the ability to create a supportive learning environment where every student thrives is why I have the ability to stand here 19 years later.”
The Class of 2025 Associate Degree in Nursing graduates were supported by clinical partners AdCare Hospital, Baldwinville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Clearbrook Treatment Center, Heywood Hospital, Seven Hills, Tara Vista Behavioral Health, The Highlands, UMass Memorial Health Alliance Clinton-Leominster Hospital, and UMass Memorial Medical Center. Thanks to these partnerships, graduates are now poised to make a meaningful impact in healthcare settings in North Central Massachusetts and beyond.
The fifty-eight graduates who were pinned are:
Sheena M. Marandino, Ashburnham, MA
Nicole M. Eliason, Athol, MA
Abigail Desiree Jupiter, Athol, MA
Leslie Anne Voyer, Athol, MA
Faizah Bashir Shaban, Ayer, MA
Amy Lynn Gibson, Baldwinville, MA
Taylor Aliisa O’Malley, Baldwinville, MA
Nicole Rachelle Beauchesne, Bolton, MA
Jessica Marie Flanders, Boylston, MA
Lyndsey L. Gamache, Brimfield, MA
Eve P. Zimmerman, Clinton, MA
Tabitha Njoroge, Dudley, MA
Erin Rose Shea, East Brookfield, MA
Jennifer Marie Bilodeau, Fitchburg, MA
Ashleigh Kudakwashe Chikumbirike, Fitchburg, MA
Kylee Ann Dauphinais, Fitchburg, MA
Xiara Yariss Davila, Fitchburg, MA
Nikita Rose Gilbert, Fitchburg, MA
Jetta Elizabeth Lizotte, Fitchburg, MA
Kelly McGrath, Fitchburg, MA
Anny Diane Nankap-Shimi, Fitchburg, MA
Nicole M. Silva, Fitchburg, MA
Dianna S. Szabo, Fitchburg, MA
Marcililian R. Gavric, Framingham, MA
Nicole Marie Deschamps, Gardner, MA
Taylor Nicole Joyce, Gardner, MA
Madeangely Lopez De Juan, Gardner, MA
Shalene Mitchell, Gardner, MA
Kimberli Alexandra Nutting, Gardner, MA
Joslyn Paige Valliere, Gardner, MA
Malley J. Black, Holden, MA
Michael A. Douglas, Hubbardston, MA
Abigail Claire Gagne, Hubbardston, MA
Amber Marie Gomes, Hubbardston, MA
Emily Bruley, Lancaster, MA
Francisco Jose Montoya, Lancaster, MA
Bismath Cynthia Khan, Leominster, MA
Fridah Kiarie, Lowell, MA
Kyanah Long, Lowell, MA
Samuel Kabiru Njoroge, Lowell, MA
Carlee B. Dunbar, Lunenburg, MA
Sandra Ray Gill Testa, Lunenburg, MA
Julia Wilson, Lunenburg, MA
Coralina M. Ludden, Rutland, MA
Casey Anne Aubin, Southbridge, MA
Megan V. Hall, Southbridge, MA
Nichole D. Skinner, Templeton, MA
Leila Kisakye, Uxbridge, MA
Virginia Lyn Auffrey, Westminster, MA
Kaylee A. Chiarenza, Westminster, MA
Mackenzie Luoma Whalen, Westminster, MA
Lindsey T. O’Toole, Winchendon, MA
Vanessa A. Prouty, Winchendon, MA
Joyce Amoah, Worcester, MA
Angelo Arcuri, Worcester, MA
Irene Wairimu Njenga, Worcester, MA
Kayleigh Elizabeth Stickney, Fitzwilliam, NH
Brianna Suzanne Blake, Keene, NH