The Catskill Chronicle

Pictured are: (First row from left to right): Lydia Lecei, Ericka Pineda, April Drake, and Shauna Brickey, Amber McGibbon, (Second row from left to right) Summer Elliott, Jeffery Cobbs, Dana Aragano, Jennifer Brown-Babcock, and Kristin Brush, (Back row from left to right): Diana Jones, Shanese Pettway, Christina Jones, Kathy Appley, Marilyn Squires, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Marie Brown, Betty Bell, and Evangelia Fitzpatrick. – Provided photo

LIBERTY, NY – On Thursday, May 13, at the Sullivan County BOCES Rubin Pollack Education Center, nineteen individuals from the Licensed Practical Nursing Program were presented with their caps. The capping ceremony is a milestone in the student’s progression of becoming a LPN. Family and friends attended the ceremony and joined the students at a reception, which was prepared by the BOCES Culinary Arts students.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was Ann Korabik, BSN, MA, CPHQ In-service Coordinator/ Consultant Achieve Rehabilitation & Nursing Facility. Ms. Korabik, spoke to the students about her experiences and how this ceremony honors Florence Nightingale and represents the symbol of nursing and all of Florence Nightingale’s efforts in forming what nursing has become today. She was known for her pioneering work in nursing, and was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night to tend injured soldiers.

The Sullivan County BOCES LPN class included Kathy Appley, Dana Aragano, Betty Bell, Shauna Brickey, Marie Brown, Jennifer Brown-Babcock, Kristin Brush, Jeffery Cobbs, April Drake, Summer Elliott, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Evangelia Fitzpatrick, Christina Jones, Diana Jones, Lydia Lecei, Amber McGibbon, Shanese Pettway, Ericka Pineda, and Marilyn Squires.

This year’s class was special in two ways. Not only did the class have four high school students, Summer Elliott, Evangelia Fitzpatrick, Diana Jones, and Shanese Pettway. It had two instances where the program touched two generations, Betty Bell is the second generation to go through the program and this year’s class has a mother and daughter taking the same class, Deborah Fitzpatrick (mother) and Evangelia Fitzpatrick (daughter). Congratulations on your future success!

For more information about getting into the LPN program call 295-4143, to schedule an entrance exam time and request an application.