Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing Cohort Seven Nursing Pinning Honors 22 Graduates
Twenty-two members of the seventh cohort of the Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program were pinned at a special ceremony to honor their accomplishments on May 7 at Montecito Covenant Church. The group included the college’s first nursing fast track graduate, who earned two bachelor’s degrees in just four and a half years.
“I am deeply grateful not only for the medical training but for the compassionate care we receive,” said President Gayle D. Beebe. “True healing begins when we are treated with dignity, care and respect, and nurses play an essential role in delivering the healing arts that restore us to full health.”
Nursing graduate Baylee Haas acknowledged the challenges faced during the program, including early mornings, late nights and stressful moments. She reflected on the growth and resilience of the cohort, emphasizing the friendships and support system built during the program. “As we move forward into our careers, we will enter hospitals, clinics, and communities where people will trust us with their lives, and when those moments come, I have no doubt that each one of us will rise to meet them with the same determination, resilience, and compassion that brought us here today.
Nursing faculty Dr. Stephanie Curtis shared her experiences teaching the cohort and reflected on their growth and development. She emphasized the importance of embracing one's unique gifts and calling. “In this journey that you're on and about to embark, it will take time,” she said, “time for the vision you have for yourself to really come into alignment with the confidence and the competence in your knowledge and skills. That alignment is a great place to get to, but it'll take a little while. So, in the meantime, you really have to find where your motivation comes from every shift, every day.”
She then read them her re-worked version of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” tailored especially for them, called “The Very Nervous Nursing Students.”
In parting, Dianthe Hoffman, ABSN program director, said it's remarkable to see how much the nursing graduated had grown not only in knowledge and skill, but in confidence, compassion, and character. “Every cohort leaves its own unique mark on this program, and you will be remembered for your kindness, resilience and commitment,” she said.
Anna Foley won the Health Care Achievement Award, an engraved Littmann stethoscope that’s been given to the top nursing student since 2022 through the generosity of Ron Peterson ’71.
The new graduates are Shaya Alexander, Selena Anguiano Rubio, Nicollette Arbaban Ghafouri, Charlotte Bloom, Tiara Budde, Chloe Clayton, EJ Dela Vega, Anna Foley, Morgan Gallagher, Kelly Gibson, Andy Gonzalez, Lyana Gonzalez, Baylee Haas, Haylee Jepsen, Renee Kim, Jasmin Lopez, Olivia Madarang, Justin Manzon, Yarenni Reyes Medina, Megan Tomczak, Asia-Mere Wernke and Joseph Zamora.