BLUE BELL PA – Ten local residents – four from Pottstown, and one each from Gilbertsville, Oaks, Zieglerville, Douglassville, Pennsburg, and King of Prussia – are among 28 nursing students who recently graduated from Montgomery County Community College (MCCC).
The college held a special nurse pinning ceremony Dec. 17 (2024; Tuesday) in the Montco Cultural Center theater on its Blue Bell Campus. The event, organized by student co-chair Ashley Finley of Pottstown and Melissa Murphy of Warminster, included special speakers, presentation of the pins, and recitation of the nursing oath.
Fall 2024 local graduates include:
- Sarah Bartholomew, of Pottstown;
- Hannah Feist, Pottstown;
- Ashley Finley, Pottstown;
- Tiffany Sautter, Pottstown;
- Matthew Daley, Gilbertsville;
- Alfred Funke, Oaks;
- Natalie Lindenmuth, Zieglerville;
- Megan Maynard, Douglassville;
- Caitlyn McKelvey, Pennsburg; and
- Noah Solomon, King of Prussia.
Pennburg’s McKelvy also served as the ceremony’s student speaker.
“As we all go our separate ways and begin our careers, my hope is that we never forget that although it is empowering to save lives in emergent situations and watch as someone gets better because of the care we provide, there is equally as much honor in caring for someone in the smallest of ways,” McKelvy told her peers.
Following graduation from its Dr. Stuart H. & Sandra K. Fine Nursing Program, the college says, MCCC nurses are “fully prepared” to take the national licensing examination to become registered nurses.
Where MCCC’s Grads are Headed
MCCC nursing graduates’ current first-time pass rate for the registered nurses exam is 93%. That exceeds both the state average of 88%, and the national average of 91.56%, the college notes.
Graduates may directly enter the workforce as registered nurses, or transfer to a bachelor of science in nursing program. MCCC’s top transfer schools include Drexel University, Penn State University, and West Chester University, it adds.
Nursing graduates are employed at hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, and other health care settings across the county and the region. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for registered nurses is more than $86,000 per year, and the 10-year job growth is a higher-than-average 6%.
Photo by Linda Johnson provided to Travels With The Post by MCCC
Boyertown Events, Grants Help Build Progress in 2024