When Morgan Dukes was in middle school, her aunt, Lachelle Smith, planted the seed that Salus University would be a great place for Dukes to continue her education. And ever since, according to Dukes, Smith — director the university’s Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) program in the department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) — had been tugging at her to go to Salus.

“A Lot of Pride and a Lot of Relief”

All that auntly influence finally paid off, as Dukes graduated with a master’s degree in Orientation and Mobility at the University’s 125th commencement ceremony Oct. 13, 2022, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Phila.

“There is a lot of pride and a lot of relief that it’s finally over. But I’m definitely looking forward to my future and my career,” said Dukes.

Her parents, Keith and Lashawn Dukes, came up from Bowie, Md., and were certainly proud to watch their daughter walk across the stage to receive her diploma.

“She was just determined and worked diligently to obtain her goal. And, now she’s a real adult and she’s excited to be going out into the work force, making a difference and impacting people’s lives,” said Lashawn. “It’s a beautiful thing to see your children doing well,” added Keith.

“Rewarding but Difficult”

Nikita Pendse, who was part of what was informally called the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies “COVID Class” of 2022, said she never thought graduation day would come.

It’s been so crazy because these past two years have been rewarding, but difficult,” said Pendse. “It feels even more crazy now that it’s over.”

Her father, Girish Pendse, admitted he doesn’t do “emotional” too often, but seeing his daughter receive her diploma was one of those times where he did get emotional.

“My advice to her is to be good to others so others are good to you. Treat each other with respect, enjoy what you do and be happy,” he said. “I’m very proud and so happy because she’s wanted to do this for the longest time and today she has done it,” added mother Nandagauri Pendse.

A total of 87 graduates from the university’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) and the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) received master’s and doctorate degrees in the areas of:

• Audiology
• Occupational therapy
• Biomedicine,
• Low-vision rehabilitation
• Orientation and mobility
• Physician assistant studies

Keynote Speaker: Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy

The keynote speaker was Thomas R. Cullison, currently a senior associate at the Global Policy Center for the Strategic and International Studies that focuses on the Department of Defense contributions to U.S. health security.

Cullison has been involved with health policy and international health engagement issues since retiring in 2010 after a 38-year military career that culminated in service as the deputy surgeon general of the U.S. Navy.

He is also a longtime mentor and friend to Salus president Michael H. Mittelman.

Taking Care

As healthcare professionals, Cullison stressed and challenged graduates to not only take care of their patients, but to take care of themselves as well.

“The most important person you’re going to see today is the first patient that walks into your office. And everything you know and everything you’ve learned and researched should be focused on that patient and that patient only,” said Cullison.

“When that patient is taken care of and they’re out the door with the best healthcare they can get, the next most important person is the next patient and the one after that. We need to give them the best medical care that we can.”

Congratulations, Thanks, and a Call for Service

Mittelman congratulated the students and thanked family members and friends in attendance who supported the graduates through their academic journey.

“Your encouragement and support have been absolutely critical,” said Mittelman. “You helped motivate them and helped them achieve their goals. We realize they would have had a much more difficult time if it wasn’t for your support.”

He added that it was time for the graduates to translate that learning to something even more useful that’s “absolutely sustainable and totally unbounded.”

“And that’s your impact on the world as you start to serve others,” continued Mittelman. “As you go from the relative security of the academic environment to the real world, each of you is going to confront challenges a little bit differently. But I’m certain you will do this successfully.”

Student Representative

Morgan Mejer Glover, who received a Doctor of Audiology in the online bridge program, was chosen as the student representative to speak to her classmates.

Glover, originally from Denmark but who now lives with her husband Justin Ball outside Phila., took some time off after receiving her degree in speech-language pathology and audiology from the University of Copenhagen. She joined the online bridge program in Salus University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA), and held a job at the same time, all while her husband also attended medical school.

She urged her classmates to continue to learn, listen fully and provide the best care they can to their patients, which was reiterated by Cullison.

“We’ve all been given the tools that we need from our schooling. So now it’s our job to take those tools and go out and make our fields a better place to help others,” said Glover.

“Everything I Ever Dreamed Of”

Lydia Gladfelter said getting her Master of Medical Science diploma was a feeling like no other she had experienced. “It was everything I’ve ever dreamed of, getting that degree today,” she said.

“We were the ‘COVID Class’ but we ended up getting the experience that the other classes did. It was a challenge knowing how to manage your time. But knowing how to face different obstacles will make us better PAs in the end.”

Her parents, Danielle and Todd Gladfelter, traveled from York, Pa., to attend the ceremony.

“This was a really special moment because she was a 2020 graduate from Juniata College and, we did not get to have a graduation ceremony together,” said Danielle. “I remember driving past Salus in 2015 and looking at it from York Road and saying to her, ‘Maybe this is somewhere you can go someday.’

“And, here we are and she’s a graduate. That’s a really special moment.”