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������Ƶ’s Decker School of Nursing held its undergraduate Commencement ceremony at noon May 17 in the University’s Events Center. More than 170 students received bachelor’s degrees in nursing at the event.

University President Harvey Stenger opened the ceremony, followed by a welcome from Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Nieman. Next, Decker Dean Mario Ortiz recognized and congratulated a group of people whom he said were critical to the graduates’ success.

“Family and friends play such an enormous role in supporting our students through what is a rigorous and demanding program,” he said. “I wish to express our appreciation to you for being with them throughout this important endeavor. From the deepest place in our hearts, we congratulate you.”

Following some brief remarks by ������Ƶ Alumni Association President Lisa Abbott, MBA ‘93, student speaker and graduating senior Jessica Alzona took the stage.

“No one can tell us that we won’t change the world. Because we will change the world,” she said.

“As nurses, we will hold the hands of a mom moments before she gets to hold her daughter for the first time. And, we’ll hold the hands of a daughter moments before she gets to hold her mom for the last time. We will be the front line of care when every minute counts. We will be the teachers, the advocates, the caregivers and the supporters for our patients when no one else is there,” she added.

Alzona thanked Decker faculty for their knowledge and guidance. “I want to pay tribute to our professors, who showed us how nursing is truly an art and not just a science, and how they allowed each and every one of us to recognize our own strengths and unique attributes that will contribute to this art of nursing,” she said.

During her presentation Alzona admitted that not long ago she couldn’t explain why she chose nursing. That clarity of purpose came to her during her final year at Decker, and she shared it with the audience as she closed her speech.

“We chose nursing because we have the heart of a nurse, because we CAN change the world, because we are brave, because we are resilient, because we are leaders and because we are going to kick butt — not just wipe it,” she said.

A tradition at the Decker Commencement is the presentation of gifts to the school from the graduate and undergraduate classes. Denise (Qimin) Chen, a student in the family nurse practitioner program and president of the Nursing Graduate Student Organization, announced the graduate gift. The organization purchased 19 kits for nurse practitioner students to use next year during suturing practice.

Cameron Daleo, Nursing Student Association president and graduating senior, announced the undergraduate gift. This year, Decker’s two undergraduate student groups — the Nursing Student Association and the Mary E. Mahoney Nursing Support Group — joined together to donate to the Haley Anderson Memorial Fund. Anderson was a Decker student who was killed in March 2018.

More than 2,000 people attended Decker’s undergraduate Commencement ceremony.