Westmont’s inaugural cohort of eight nursing students graduated May 6, marking the culmination of their 16-month education in the Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program. Westmont launched the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in partnership with Cottage Health in 2020 amidst a global pandemic and a dire nursing shortage.
Graduates Laura Acevedo, Trisha Beaudin, Regino Gonzalez, Michaela Root, Gracie Stokes, Jen Velas, Megan Wahrenburg and Anna Wallace were also honored at a separate pinning ceremony following Commencement in the Global Leadership Center.
The celebration included poetry readings, prayer and awards. Each graduate submitted messages of gratitude that were read by Dianthe Hoffman, program director and nursing faculty, and Lesley Gardia, nursing faculty. Carol Velas, the program’s founding director, gave the Healthcare Achievement Award to Wahrenburg for maintaining a 4.0 GPA, demonstrating leadership qualities and completing a quality improvement project about treating a patient with sepsis.
“We are so thankful for the nurses who provide exceptional care and service on the front lines of our community,” says president Gayle D. Beebe. “On behalf of the college, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for their unwavering commitment to caring for our community and their dedication to providing high-quality compassionate care.”
Westmont provides state-of-the-art clinical training for its students and a pathway to a fulfilling career in nursing through partnerships with Cottage Health and Sansum Clinic along the Central Coast. The ABSN program is housed in downtown Santa Barbara about a mile away from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, offering students easy access to their clinical rotations while immersing them in the community. Students learn from registered nursing professors who have dedicated their lives to health and wellness through the theory of compassionate care.
Westmont, which expects to have a full cohort of 24 new nursing students in the fall, is currently hiring additional support staff for its nursing program.
