JWU Honors the ABSN Class of 2026

This semester, Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing students concluded their studies at Johnson & Wales University’s College of Health & Wellness and will soon begin their rewarding work in new careers.

Providence Campus Graduates Third Cohort 

“I vow to act with kindness and professionalism,” promised the small but mighty third graduating cohort of JWU Providence’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program as part of the Nursing Professional Oath, taken after the Class of 2026 graduates received their pins on April 23 at the Center for Physician Assistant Studies.

“We’re so proud of the knowledge you gained, the compassion you hold and the dignity you bring to others,” Dean of the College of Health & Wellness Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, S.D., MPH, FNAP, FAPTA, told the trio.

Nursing Program Director Kiley Medeiros, Ph.D., RN, acknowledged how the new nursing graduates would be taking their place in history, after recognizing the changing roles of nurses since the profession’s historic inception and transforming to how nurses are needed and valued today. “Today, nursing remains one of the most trusted professions in the United States — not because it’s easy, but because it’s built on competence and service,” Medeiros expressed.

Providence Nursing Students Share Their Experience

Instead of electing one speaker, Emma Lee Elizabeth Franklin ’26, Laila Martin ’26 and Savannah Vansidener ’26 all served as co-speakers for their pinning ceremony. But there was little talking and instead lots of watching, smiling, laughing — even a few tears.

“Instead of a speech, we made a student video with pictures of our time during the nursing program to share,” the graduates explained.

“You might think 16 months is not a lot of time, but when you do something like this, 16 months is NOT a lot of time!” shared Martin, who is interested in going into Emergency nursing or working on a critical care step-down unit, when introducing the video. “Through the journey we had good times and struggles, but overall great times.”

The slide show, “Documenting the Making of Nurses: Based on a True Story of Stress, Success and No Sleep” visually showed the students during their studies at JWU and after their clinicals, as well as featuring photos of favorite nursing instructors, including Assistant Professor MaryBeth Vieira, Ph.D., RN, CNE, CDP; Assistant Professor Marie Woolery, DNP, PMHNP; Assistant Professor Jonathan Carpenter, CCRN; Assistant Professor Heather Remy, DNP, RN, APRN and Assistant Professor Kerry Richardson, Ph.D., RN (even “Carlos,” one of the simulated dummies upon which the budding nurses practiced, got a shoutout).

“Congrats to us; we made it!” ended the video. “And those who are still going, you’ll make it, too!”

That slideshow, which included shots of what “The Nursing Gals” have also been doing outside of school, such as some of Martin’s extensive travels, may grow even longer in time.

“Our small cohort was unique and definitely made us all close,” notes Franklin, who will be working in the Emergency Department trauma center of St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts. “We plan on staying in touch with each other.”

“The small cohort definitely had its pros and cons, but I got to meet such a great group of people that I started my nursing career with!” exclaims Vansidener, who has a job lined up in the ICU.

Faculty Celebrate JWU’s Third Providence Nursing Cohort

After receiving their pins (represented as medals around their necks) and hugs, the students received final remarks from Vieira.

“Their unique personalities coupled with their academic and personal strengths and challenges created a climate of growth, support and, honestly, fun in the classroom,” she informed the graduates’ family, friends and colleagues while sharing examples of Franklin’s studiousness, Martin’s lightheartedness and Vansidener’s adventurous spirit. “I enjoyed my time with them. They’re all incredibly intelligent, collaborative, cooperative, kind, and will make excellent nurses.”

“Allow yourselves to grow, be present, speak up, advocate, lead, be accountable and take care of yourselves,” she advised the graduates. “You are heroes of the community. Your patients will count on you for help, support and your skills. And I’ve I said a million times in the last 16 months: you are going to be the difference between their positive vs. negative outcomes.”

She summed up her remarks with a sentiment all JWU faculty share: “I will miss you and I wish you the best always.”

JWU Charlotte Cheers on Six New Nursing Professionals

On April 27, JWU Charlotte celebrated the campus’ second Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing cohort completing their program, culminating in a pinning ceremony for six Class of 2026 graduates.

Dean of the College of Health & Wellness Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, S.D., MPH, FNAP, FAPTA, traveled from the Providence Campus to extol the cohort’s accomplishments, proudly noting, “Our students have worked diligently over the past 16 months, demonstrating dedication and resilience in the nursing profession” and telling the students, “Your future is undeniably bright.”

"The ABSN faculty, staff, and I have watched each of your grow from beginning nursing students to now novice nurses,” University Chief Nursing Officer and JWU Charlotte Program Director, David Hudson, DNP, MSN, RN, told the graduating cohort. “Although your growth has been a very personal journey for each of you, it has also been a shared experience that will travel with you for the remainder of your life. We have faith in you. We believe in you. We know that you are going to make an impact on the world, one person at a time. We wish you the best in all that you do. Congratulations."

Nursing Education Partners and Instructors Awarded

The ceremony included presenting the Outstanding Experiential Education Partnership Award from JWU to Mecklenburg County Public Health in thanks for shaping the next generation of nursing students, helping to place students in high-quality positions and providing positive student experiences.

In addition, Kathy Shaffer, DNP, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CBC, an adjunct clinical instructor at JWU Charlotte who also serves as director of nursing practice for ambulatory care at Atrium Health, received the Experiential Educator’s Award for offering excellent instruction and support to JWU’s ABSN students.

Charlotte Nursing Student Speaks from the Heart

The crux of the ceremony came from Class of 2026 student speaker Jesselyn Posada’s heartfelt speech to her accelerated BSN cohort members and their gathered family and friends.

“Here we are,” Posada stated. “Not just classmates, but a team. A support system. A family forged in stress, growth and resilience. What makes this moment so powerful isn’t just that we completed an accelerated nursing program — it’s that we did it while life kept happening around us.”

She continued, “Some of us were working. Some raising children. Some planning weddings. And sometimes, life just got in the way. And still… we showed up. We showed up tired. We showed up overwhelmed. We showed up doubting ourselves. But we showed up anyway. That is what nurses do.”

Concluded Posada, “We are walking into a profession that will challenge us. There will be hard shifts, losses and days that test our strength. But there will also be lives changed (theirs and ours), because we walked into that room. Families who remember us because of our compassion. Patients who felt less alone because we cared. And that matters.”

To faculty, family and friends, she noted, “This degree may have our names on it, but your hearts and fingerprints are all over it.”

“Walk into every space knowing you have earned your place,” Posada advised her incredible classmates. “If this is what we can accomplish in 16 months, just imagine what we can do in a lifetime.”

Charlotte Nursing Director’s Message to the Graduates

"Campus and faculty are excited that six new JWU alums will start their journey as a professional registered nurses,” Hudson states. “These graduates have spent the last 16 months engulfed in the process of becoming a registered nurse. They, and their loved ones and friends, have made many personal sacrifices to be dedicated to the process of completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. All six graduates have employment at local healthcare systems awaiting them after successfully passing the NCLEX-RN exam. We are excited and confident that these six new JWU alums will make an impact on the clients they care for and the nursing profession as a whole."

JWU Charlotte’s newest nursing graduates are staying local, with all six having secured jobs at Atrium Advocate Health, Novant Health or CaroMont Health.

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