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Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

Mother Teresa’s words were the message Stephanie Manning shared with her fellow graduates from ���غ���’s Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences on Thursday afternoon as the college celebrated Commencement 2025 with two ceremonies ().

Students earning doctoral degrees in nursing and occupational therapy participated in the University-wide Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at 12:30 p.m., May 15, at the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater. Nursing students earning bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and certificates of advanced studies, and public health students earning Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees were recognized during Decker College’s ceremony at 4:30 p.m., May 15, at the University’s Events Center.

Decker College ceremony

Manning, who graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing degree as a community health nurse practitioner, shared how her daughter’s diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder) 18 years ago inspired her to change careers.

“I went into fight mode, which moved me to switch careers from the bright lights of the performing arts to the holistic healing and community caregiving of nursing,” said the two-time Decker alumna (she earned a bachelor’s in nursing from Decker’s online program in 2023). “I knew I needed to learn about supporting the needs of the vulnerable … I needed to learn to give a voice to those who were not being heard.”

Emphasizing the importance of connection and community in healthcare, Manning also expressed confidence that the graduates are prepared to face the challenges ahead.

“Bring your achievements into the community, share them authentically with each person you encounter,” she said. “Make contact — with your eyes, with a touch, with an acknowledgement.”

Manning was joined by over 50 nursing and public health students who received master’s degrees at the ceremony, along with more than 175 students completing bachelor’s degrees in nursing and nearly 25 students receiving post-graduate certificates in nursing, nursing education, disaster management or forensic health.

In addition to nursing and public health, Decker College includes divisions in health and wellness studies, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language pathology; as a result, helping people live healthier, fuller lives was a recurring theme among the speakers.

“I want to commend you, our incredible students, for your perseverance, dedication and willingness to serve your community and all of those within it,” said Mario Ortiz, dean of Decker College. “Your commitment to the health professions has been tested over the past couple of years, and you have overcome more challenges than anyone could have ever imagined.”

���غ��� President Harvey Stenger noted the graduates’ degrees represent the knowledge they have acquired to improve the quality of life for individuals worldwide.

“Know that the nation and the world need your talents,” he said. “We need nurses in our hospitals and schools, and we need leaders who will make our communities healthier and safer.”

Jenna Fiorentino, the second of three student speakers, is one of the nurses who will soon be caring for patients in the hospital.

She initially earned a degree in biomedical sciences, intending to go to medical school, but realized that decision wasn’t right for her. Instead, Fiorentino chose nursing and Decker’s one-year Baccalaureate Accelerated Track program, which leads to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing for those with a degree in another discipline.

“Today is not just a celebration of our achievements but also the beginning of new goals that we will strive to accomplish as nurses,” she said. “For some of us, these goals may include furthering our education to become nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists or educators. For others, the goal may involve remaining at bedside, providing skilled and compassionate care to patients when they need it most.”

Sarah Monroy, president of the Nursing Student Association and a graduating senior, presented the Class of 2025 gift, a donation to the college’s Assessment Kit Sponsorship program to purchase two medical equipment kits. All junior nursing students must have the kits for simulation and clinical experiences. “We hope this donation will help alleviate some of the financial challenges future nursing students may face, allowing them to focus on their education and clinical practice,” she said.

Nandini Patel earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Decker’s traditional nursing program and was the final student speaker. She conveyed her pride in her cohort’s growth and accomplishments and expressed gratitude to her family, friends and mentors.

“You kept going because you knew your potential, you knew your strength and you knew that you COULD do this,” she told her fellow graduates. “THIS is what we will carry with us as we step into unfamiliar territory throughout this next phase of our lives.”

Like Manning, Patel also borrowed words from a well-loved individual bear:

Doctoral hooding ceremony

Almost a dozen Decker College students earning Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) or Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degrees attended the University’s Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. May 15.