GREENFIELD — Choking back tears, class speaker Cassandra L. Sicard addressed her fellow soon-to-be nurses.
“This must be what people meant when they said ‘trust the process,’” Sicard said.
In front of a packed room of around 200 people gathered at Greenfield Community College Thursday evening, Sicard — the winner of the scholarship for excellence in nursing care — spoke to the graduating class of 39 nurses from the college’s associate degree program.
Sicard, along with student-selected speaker, faculty member Mary Phillips, talked about the journey the class took to get to this moment.
They also echoed each other in their adoration for longtime faculty member Cheri Ducharme, who will be retiring in December.
“Like Cheri, you can lead by example,” Phillips told the class.
Greenfield Community College President Bob Pura celebrated the success of the future nurses, while addressing the current state of healthcare in the country and county.
“You sure picked a good time to become a nurse. No, I mean it,” Pura said. “Never has there been a time for a need for quality care and nursing.”
Stacy Lucas and Lily Stratford presented the class gifts, announcing they raised nearly $3,000 for them by selling everything from apparel to pancakes. The biggest slice of the gift will go to a $1,000 scholarship to a future student in honor of Ducharme.
Three graduates won recognition for outstanding performance in specific fields of nursing: Kristina C. Chevalier, Julia Blakeney-Hayward and Rachel R. Bachand.
Marissa Tenenbaum-Potter won a scholarship from the college for outstanding nursing.
In addition to Sicard winning a scholarship for excellence in nursing, Anita B. Carl won a scholarship for having the highest GPA in the class.
Althea R. Sacco won a scholarship for Amherst College’s nursing school.
Six graduates were awarded scholarships from the Jean Simmons Nursing Endowed Chair Fund.
All the students will be attending Elms College for a baccalaureate program to continue their education.
The 39 students to graduate Thursday night from Greenfield Community College with an associate degree in nursing: Katie A. Ashcraft, Taylor Aubin, Rachel R. Bachand, Nadejda Banari, Julia Blakeney-Hayward, Hannah Cardin, Anita Beth Carl, Christa Nichole Chevalier, Kristina Charlotte Chevalier, Justine Olivia Ciuffreda, Brianna Maureen Cooley, Luminita Dariy, Elizabeth Desmond, Megan Marie Doull, Caitlyn Downing, Kelley Dubrule, Lauren Ashlyn Duncan, Kayla E. Gilmore, Erin M. Griffin, Cady Amanda Heon, Emma L. Johnson, Heather M. Johnson, Nadia Levchyk, Stacy Ann Lucas, Ina Lungu, Ashley T. Millward, Ecaterina Nichita, Elizabeth O’Leary-Keefe, Sarah Reipold, Katie Renee Rodovich, Althea Rose Sacco, Alyssa Erin Shepherd, Cassandra Lynn Sicard, Holden Sjostrom, Lily Helen Stratford, Marissa Tenenbaum-Potter, Jayshalee Marie Whiteman, Ryland M. Wright and Jillian Marie York.