FORT KENT, Maine — On Friday, May 10, 2019, 134 University of Maine at Fort Kent nursing students graduated from the program, with 36 attending the 35th annual UMFK Nurse Pinning Ceremony at the Fox Auditorium on the UMFK campus.
Faculty, staff, and students, along with family members and friends of the graduates gathered to honor the recipients of the bachelor of science degree in nursing. University President Dr. John N. Short welcomed attendees and extended congratulations to the students. The theme for this year’s pinning ceremony was “4 Million Reasons to Celebrate.”
The keynote speaker for the pinning ceremony was Tyler Stoliker, a 2011 UMFK graduate and a nurse practitioner at Northern Maine Medical Center.
Cheryl Roberts, instructor of nursing, thanked hospitals and institutions throughout Maine and out of state for supporting the graduates during their clinical courses, as well as offering them a setting in which to complete their preceptorships in Maine: Aroostook House of Comfort, Presque Isle; Cary Medical Center, Caribou; Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston; Down East Community Hospital, Machias; Houlton Regional Hospital, Houlton; Lincoln Health, Damariscotta; Maine General Medical Center, Augusta; Maine Medical Center, Portland; Mayo Regional Hospital, Dover-Foxcroft; Mid-Coast Regional Hospital, Brunswick; Northern Light Acadia Hospital, Bangor; Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor; Northern Light Inland Hospital, Waterville; Northern Light Mercy Hospital, Portland; Northern Light AG Gould Hospital, Presque Isle; Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC), Fort Kent; Pen Bay Medical Hospital, Rockport; Redington-Fairview General Hospital, Skowhegan; Rumford Hospital, Rumford; Spring Harbor Hospital, Portland; St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor; St. Mary’s Hospital, Lewiston; and Waldo County General Hospital, Belfast. Out of state preceptorships: Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, IA; Concord Hospital, Concord, NH; Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH; The Eliot, Manchester, NH’ The Miriam, Providence, RI; Charleston Oncology, SC; and University of Wisconsin Medical Center, Madison, WI.
NMMC, Cary Medical Center and Northern Light AR Gould Hospital received plaques in appreciation of their service.
Duane J. Belanger received the Student Nurse Citizenship Award. Belanger served as president of a newly formed student-lead organization, Partners for International Relief. He developed and nurtured partnerships with community organizations, businesses, facilities, and community leaders in support of annual medical relief missions.
The Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award went to UMFK alumnus Tyler Stoliker. After UMFK, Stoliker graduated from St. Joseph’s College with a Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner. He began his career at NMMC in the emergency department and is now a family nurse practitioner at NMMC. He volunteers on ski patrol at Lonesome Pine Trails and serves as the medical staff person for the statewide Catholic Youth Ministry.
Heather Pelletier was honored with the Community Leader Award. She earned an associate of science degree in medical administrative assistant at Casco Bay College and attended Husson College with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and an associate of science degree in business. She worked in the finance department at NMMC for nearly 10 years. She joined Fish River Rural Health in 2010 as assistant director and chief financial officer, and in 2012 attained her current position as CEO.
The following BSN students received their nursing pins: Daniel Agborkey (Worcester, MA); Constance Anderson (Caribou, ME); Emmanuella Anyika (Bangor, ME); Sara Bickford (Milford, ME); Felisha Bouchard (Van Buren); Rebecca Brown (Bowdoin, ME); Jeanne Butler (Topsfield, MA); Nicholas Clark (Easton, ME); Kendra Coffin (Stockholm, ME); Benjamin Costello (Brewer, ME); Taylor deMontigny (Frenchville); Jessica Donovan (Augusta, ME); Celcilia Efuetlacha (Coppell, TX); Sara Gilson (Presque Isle); Jody Goodwin (China Village, ME); Tiffani Goyette (St. David) ; Charlotte Grass (Bridgewater, ME); Jamie Guerrette (Milford, ME); Samantha Jackson (Junction City, OR); Krystal Kingsbury (Presque Isle, ME); Alexandra Lynch (Brunswick, ME); Melana Marquis (Madawaska); Jasmine McDonald (Brooksville, ME); Rebecca Michaud (Fort Kent); Shelley Milliard (Fort Fairfield); Liane Norsworthy (Fort Fairfield, ME); Cassidy O’Leary (Ashland, ME); Victorine Omes (Haverhill, MA); Shayla Pointbriand (Lewiston, ME); Kimoya Samuels (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica); Keianna Sirois (Fort Kent); Camryn Smith (Fort Kent); Hannah Streinz (Hersey, ME); Danette Tekelenburg (Sanford, ME); Katelin Voisine (Fort Kent); and Megan Wardwell (Fort Kent).
UMFK nursing students who were enrolled in the Partners in Nursing Education Program received their nursing pins at a ceremony that was held on May 9th at the Jewett Hall Auditorium on the University of Maine at Augusta campus.
(Courtesy of University of Maine at Fort Kent)
BSN students in absentia were: Rachael Baillargeon (Auburn, ME); Amy Beckett (Thompson, ME); Duane Belanger (Fort Kent); Michelle Benner (South Portland, ME); Alice Berry (Wayne, ME); Dora Brown (Bangor, ME); Eliza Burke (Augusta, ME); Jonathan Buza (Littleton, ME); Nicholas Cannon (Dover Foxcroft, ME); Alexandra Cardenas (Fontana, CA); Samantha Carlow (Easton, ME); Frances Caron (North Anson, ME); Markie Casagrande (Bridgton, ME); Brandy Colson (Thomaston, ME); John Countryman (Qweensbury, NY); Tara Cunningham (Planifield, NH); Jessie Daley (Sullivan, ME); Stephanie Dame (Bangor, ME); Trudy Delong (Millinocket, ME); Caitlyn Durant (Williamsburg, Township); Courtney Elliot (Cumming, GA): Amie Fagan (Hudson, ME); Mackenzie Farrell (Dedham, MA); Sara Felmly (Yarmouth, ME); Emily Fitzpatrick (Wallagrass); Andrew Fletcher (Murrieta, CA); Angela Frechette (Fairfield, ME); Kasey Freston (Fort Kent); Jihaan Garrett (Brunswick, ME); Bobbie-Jo Grant (Sidney, ME); Kacey Hammond (Westfield, ME); Victoria Hanson (Linneus, ME); Danielle Hitchcock (Caribou, ME); Elise Hodgetts (West Cumberland, ME); Caleb Hollatz (Livermore Falls, ME); Sahlini Jetley (Huntington Beach, CA); Carrie Kennedy (Windham, ME); Kristen Kingsbury (Presque Isle, ME); Arianne Kryskow (Fort Kent); Olga Lambruschini (Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada); Crystal Landry (Lincoln, ME); Tasha Lary (Harmony, ME); Stephanie Lavigne (Trescott Township, ME); Courtney Lavoie (Frenchville); Danielle Libby (Norridgewock, ME); Brooke Lilley (Oakfield, ME); Vanessa Lopez Garcia ( Porterville, CA); Sarah Locke (San Jos, CA); Njukam Loveline (Arlington, TX); Jessica Lowry (Mapleton, ME); Lorraine Lugdon (Dedham, ME); Siobhan Mantell (York, ME); Elisa Martin (South Portland, ME); Heather Mathews (Kennebunk, ME); Ami Maxwell (St. John Plantation); Grace McKellar (Oxford, Nova Scotia, Canada); Lisa McLellan (Caribou, ME); Felicia Mensah (Laurel, MD); Kristen Nash (Caribou, ME); Benedine Ndukwe (Brooklyn, NY); Aaron Padula (Gorham, ME); Michael Pakulski (Norridgewock, ME); JaNeal Peck (Madison, ME); Jennifer Pierce (Windham, ME); Kathleen Pike (Orono, ME); Nicole Pinette (Eagle Lake); Anita Plog (Strong, ME); Dahna Plourde (Caribou, ME); Dawn Plourde (Carmel, ME); Stephanie Pooler (Carmel, ME); Carrie Preble (Palmyra, ME); Elise Presby (Auburn, ME); Barbara Quarmyne (Caribou, ME); Kaylen Randall (Yarmouth, ME); Nicolas Rivera (Bangor, ME); Haley Rouuseau (Brunswick, ME); Courtney Ruest (Presque Isle, ME); Laurie Shackett (Perham, ME) Lynn Shaw (Kenduskeag, ME) ; Lynne Signore (Springvale, ME); Brooke Snide (Kenduskeag, ME); Jamie Spencer (Clinton, ME); Kaloua Stanhope (Perry, ME); Rebecca Sucy (Rome, ME); Emily Sweatt (Westbrook, ME); Jessica Taylor (Glenburn, ME); Jennifer Tompkins (Mapleton, ME); Kapricemari Tompkins (Woodville, ME); Tedd Walther (Hampden, ME); Mary Watson (Winterville) ; Kathryn Webber (Old Town, ME); Erika Wentworth (Levant, ME); Karen White (Albany Township, ME); Kim White (Presque Isle, ME); Nicole Williams (Westbrook, ME); and Hope Wilson (Carrabassett Valley, ME).
The UMFK Nursing Division faculty and staff are Dr. Erin Soucy, Dr. Rachel E. Albert, Diane Griffin, Eleanor Hess, Larry Nadeau, Sandy Pelletier, Fran Picard, Denise Potvin, Dr. Jenny Radsma, Cheryl Roberts, Dr. Tanya Sleeper, and Stacy Thibodeau.
In addition to UMFK’s nurse pinning ceremony, 35 UMFK nursing students who were enrolled in the Partners in Nursing Education Program received their nursing pins at a ceremony that was held on May 9th at the Jewett Hall Auditorium on the University of Maine at Augusta campus.
The following nursing students received their nursing pins: Carla Ahearn (Pittston, ME); Sarah Basham (South China, ME); Sandra Bizier (Bangor, ME); Jessica Blake (Farmingdale, ME); Virginia Campbell (Whitefield, ME); Chad Ceccarini (Brunswick, ME); Courtney Cook (Augusta, ME); Danielle Davis (Bangor, ME); Becca Day (Belgrade, ME); Eleanor Delcourt (South Berwick, ME); Simon Elks (Rumford, ME); Kylee Emerson (Addison, ME); Caitlin Hayward (Brunswick, ME); Colleen Herlihy (Swanville, ME); Lisa Hubert (Old Orchard Beach, ME);; Duncan Kithinji (Belfast, ME); Ashley (Smart) Martin (Vienna, ME); Quincie McCluskey (Hermon, ME); Rebecca Melanson (Topsham, ME); Elena Nechepurenko (Lincolnville, ME); Brittany Pelletier (Limington, ME); Michaela Poor (Cushing, ME); Megan Reed (Bucksport, ME); Storme St. Valle (Waterville, ME); Alexa Silakka (Francestown, NH); Jennifer Stinson (Orono, ME); Dawn Thibeault (Arrowsic, ME); John Tooley (Camden, ME); Hue Tran (Augusta, ME); Mary Watters (Brownville, ME); Ann Weber (East Machias, ME); Samantha Wenzel (Auburn, ME); Markus White (Orono, ME); Ryan-Marie Willette (Waterville, ME).
In the Augusta ceremony, UMFK Dean of Undergraduate Nursing, Dr. Erin Soucy, addressed the students, faculty, and guests.
The keynote speaker was Lisa Harvey-McPherson, RN, MBA, MPPM, vice president of government relations at Northern Light Health Eastern Maine Health Systems.
Dr. Erin Soucy presented the Nurse Alumni Award to UMFK alumnus Carlton Spotswood for his noteworthy leadership and service to the profession of nursing.
Harvey-McPherson was honored with the Community Leader Award for her dedicated leadership and support to the profession of nursing in the state of Maine. The address to the senior class was delivered by Chad Ceccarini. Colby provided closing remarks.
Submitted by the Marketing and Communication Office of the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
