BHCC Celebrates May 2025 Nursing Graduates with Ceremony Honoring Perseverance, Compassion, and Lifelong Learning
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
With proud smiles and heartfelt speeches, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) honored the May 2025 graduates of its Registered Nursing Program in a ceremony that celebrated both their academic triumph and personal resilience.
Senior Director of the Nurse Education Program, Kristen Wanger, and Dean of Health Sciences, Maryanne Atkinson, recognized the dedication necessary to complete the rigorous program and highlighted the significance of empathy, lifelong learning, and patient advocacy in nursing. “There are many important traits a nurse must carry,” said Dean Atkinson. “Chief among them, empathy, compassion, the ability to be even keel under pressure, to use one's knowledge to the best of their ability.”
Student speakers Sariah Colon (Day Option), Ebruphihor Aruoren (Alternative Option), and Cian Kilduff (Alternative Option) shared personal reflections on the challenges and growth experienced during their studies, emphasizing how success depended not only on their efforts but on their “village” — family, friends, faculty, and fellow students. The many references to enduring challenging clinical hours, late-night studying, and moments of self-doubt underscore the intense demands of nursing education.
BHCC’s Nursing Program is well-known and respected by healthcare employers throughout the region. “You are graduating from a school whose nursing graduates are not only sought after, but truly trusted. That reputation is built on your dedication, discipline, and compassion you've shown every single day,” praised Wenger.