Twenty-seven new nurses are ready to join the healthcare workforce after completing the Dr. Stuart H. & Sandra K. Fine Nursing Program at Montgomery County Community College — and the College sent them off in style.
On May 19, family, friends, and faculty filled the Montco Cultural Center theater on the Blue Bell Campus for a pinning ceremony honoring the Spring 2026 graduating class. Organized by student co-chairs Alexandra Bruecks and Caroline Thomas, the evening included keynote remarks, the presentation of nursing pins, and the recitation of the Nightingale Pledge.
From Classroom to Career
Graduates of MCCC’s nursing program are fully prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and enter the workforce directly as registered nurses, or transfer seamlessly into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Top transfer partners include Drexel University, Penn State University, and West Chester University.
The career outlook for new RNs is strong. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 median pay for registered nurses tops $93,600 per year, with a 10-year job growth rate of 5 percent — higher than average. Many MCCC nursing alumni are already working across hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, and healthcare settings throughout Montgomery County and the surrounding region.
“You Are Nurses”
Dr. Suzanne del Gizzo, Dean of Liberal Studies, opened the ceremony by acknowledging just how much the graduates had endured to reach this moment.
“You are medical professionals. You are nurses,” she told the class. “But behind this moment, there were countless others: long nights of studying, clinicals that tested your confidence, and moments of exhaustion, sacrifice, stress, and doubt. There were likely times when you wondered whether you would make it to this day — but you kept going. Through discipline, resilience, and determination, you earned your place here.”
Keynote speaker Christine Dunigan, DNP, RN, Associate Professor of Nursing at MCCC, brought both perspective and warmth to her address, drawing on four decades in the field.
“I have been a nurse for 41 years, and I absolutely love being a Nurse,” Dunigan told the graduates. “As you begin your new journey, I hope you dream big and attain all of them. My wish for you is that you will cherish your nursing career as much as I cherish mine.”
A Father, a Son, and a Shared Milestone
The student speaker, David Gawel, brought the room to laughter — and then to reflection. His son, Aiden Gawel, graduated alongside him in the same class.
“When I started the program, many of you thought I would be collecting Social Security by now rather than graduating,” he quipped.
But his message quickly turned earnest. “We didn’t get here because it was easy. We got here because we learned to endure. Nursing is hard. It is physically demanding, emotionally draining, and intellectually exhausting.”
To keep perspective through the hard moments, Gawel leaned on a favorite Albert Einstein quote: there are two ways to live your life — as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is one. Choose the second path, he said, and every patient becomes more than a room number. You start to see the miracles that happen every day.
Congratulations, Class of 2026
The ceremony closed with remarks from Kyle Raczynski, MSN, RN, Director of the Fine Nursing Program.
“This moment reflects your hard work, dedication, and unwavering determination,” Raczynski said. “Through it all, you’ve shown not only your intelligence but your compassion — and that will make all the difference in the lives of your patients.”
The Spring 2026 graduating class includes: Anthonia Adekunle, Lansdowne; Joan Barrios, Croydon; James Berg, Willow Grove; Lina Birman, Huntingdon Valley; Alexandra Bruecks, Lansdale; Madison Conti, Green Lane; Ymeiry Delgado, Warminster; Raul Garcia-Nepomuceno, Norristown; Aiden Gawel, Abington; David Gawel, Abington; Julie Goldsmith, Warminster; Abbigail Kern; Nicole Kleiner, Harleysville; Chaiyah Levy; Destiny Lignore; Mariel Mateo Santana, Willow Grove; Nathaniel McCourt; Grace McLaughlin; Joshua Monastero, Royersford; Rabiya Rabbi, Harleysville; Danielle Saraiva, Plymouth Meeting; Peyton Shuler, Souderton; Patrina Smith-Massey; Caroline Thomas, Phoenixville; Makayla Thompson, Telford; Javier Torres Rodriguez, Pottstown; and Lesly Munoz-Cervantes, Norristown.
For more information about MCCC’s Dr. Stuart H. & Sandra K. Fine Nursing Program, visit MCCC Nursing, and learn more about how Montgomery County Community College offers high-quality, affordable, accessible education that leads to relevant, rewarding transfer and career opportunities.
