RANDOLPH, Vt. — On Saturday, June 22, Vermont Tech celebrated the graduation of 141 students in the Practical Nursing Program. Taking place in Judd Hall at the Randolph Center campus, the commencement ceremony marked the graduation for the college’s regional campuses and six nursing sites throughout the state.
“I expect that this is just the first part of a very long life of education for you,” said Vermont Tech President Dr. Philip Conroy as he addressed the graduates. “You are the future of medical practice here in our country.”
Vermont Tech welcomed Steven Thomas, Unit Nurse Manager at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, as the guest speaker for the ceremony. Thomas received his Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Vermont Tech in 2006 and has since gone on to earn his Master’s in Nursing from Walden University.
“The foundation of knowledge you just acquired is so strong, it will serve as the launching pad for the rest of your nursing education journey,” said Thomas. “Notice I said ‘nursing education journey.’ I call it a journey because as a nurse, you never stop learning.”
The Vermont Tech Practical Nursing program, formerly known as The Putnam Memorial School of Nursing, was established in 1946 by the Board of Corporators of Putnam Memorial Hospital, now known as Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. It was the eighth school of Practical Nursing in the country to be accredited by the National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service. In1993, Vermont Tech took over the Putnam Memorial School, and in 1997 expanded to include the Associate in Science in Nursing Degree (ADN) program. Both the Practical Nursing (PN) Certificate and ADN programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. In the Fall of 2013, Vermont Tech will launch its online RN to BSN degree program.
For more information about Vermont Technical College, please visit www.vtc.edu.
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About Vermont Tech – Vermont Tech is the only public institution of higher learning in Vermont whose mission is applied education. One of the five Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond at its two residential campuses in Williston and Randolph Center, regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington, and at six nursing campuses located throughout the state. Vermont Tech takes an optimistic, rooted and personal approach to education to support students in gaining the confidence and practical skills necessary to not only see their potential, but to experience it. Our academic programs encompass a wide range of engineering technology, agricultural, health, and business fields that are vital to producing the knowledgeable workers needed most by employers in the state and in the region. www.vtc.edu.