WESTFIELD – Westfield Technical Academy celebrated its 19th Annual Pinning Ceremony on Feb. 13, which honors Allied Health students who have successfully passed their Certified Nursing Assistants certification. The ceremony, filled with tradition, recognizes the compassion and dedication the students have demonstrated on their pathway to care for people at their most vulnerable.
This year, the five students who completed the training, Karley Bullock, Alexandra Durfey, Yarianna Merced, Emilia Rohan and Laura Talbot have a wide range of goals in the healthcare field.
Bullock will be attending Holyoke Community College’s nursing program with a long-term goal of working in a pediatric emergency room. She is currently completing an internship with the Westfield Fire Department and will begin EMT school over the summer, with plans to continue onto paramedic training. She works at Armbrook Village as a resident care assistant in the dementia unit.
Durfey, who earned her CNA certification junior year, is working at Holyoke Medical Center as a patient care technician, where she plans to continue working while attending Holyoke Community College to major in the nursing profession.
Merced, captain of the WTA cheerleading team, plans to attend Merrimack College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology as she begins working towards her goal of becoming a pediatrician.
Rohan works as a patient care technician at Holyoke Medical Center. After graduation, she will attend the University of Vermont to major in nursing. She aspires to become a public health nurse working with individuals struggling with substance abuse. Her long-term goal is to earn a master’s in nursing and to become a nurse practitioner.
Talbot works in a co-op position at Westfield Vantage and is enrolled in the Promise Program at Westfield State University, where she takes college courses. She will attend Holyoke Community College where she plans to pursue a career as a radiology technician.
During the ceremony, each of the speakers acknowledged the perseverance required to work in healthcare. Career Technical Education Director Peter Taloumis welcomed family, friends and students in the Allied Health shop to the ceremony, congratulating the students on their hard work and perseverance.
Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski called it more than just a program, but the beginning of a meaningful career of service. “Most recently, both of my parents are under the care of CNAs. For the first time, I get to see it firsthand,” he said.
He called CNAs the heart of healthcare. “The first face they’ll see. For my parents, they see them more than anyone else,” Czaporowski said, adding, “We are proud of you and cannot wait to see what you become.”
Mayor Michael McCabe, who often speaks about his mother and daughter who are in healthcare, called CNAs “near and dear to my heart. My own mother was a CNA her entire life. It’s not always easy, but it makes a real difference,” he said before presenting each student with a citation from the city in recognition of their certification.
Keynote speaker Maureen Baillargeon, who retired last year as head of Allied Health, said pinning ceremonies are deeply meaningful. She said the pin is not decorative, but a reminder of the trust that is placed in their hands as they serve. “I wore my pin with honor,” she said. “Wear it with pride, honor and integrity. Let it remind you that even the quietest acts can make a difference.”
Baillargeon said as the sophomore and junior teacher for the class, she was incredibly proud. “Many of you have overcome personal obstacles, and showed up anyway; you persevered and kept going. Perseverance is an important life skill.”
“CNAs play one of the most essential roles in healthcare. Yours is the first face they see in the morning and the last at night. You are the patient’s voice,” Baillargeon said, thanking their parents, grandparents and guardians in the audience. “Your encouragement has made a real difference.”
Baillargeon also recognized the new Allied Health department head Angel Arenas Nieves, staff Jacqueline Barcomb and new teacher Amie Cashman, who all then proceeded with the presentation of pins and the lighting ceremony.
Nieves told the students they are joining a noble allegiance. “There is no small act in nursing. A gentle repositioning, a gentle word at night, even noticing a difference in breathing. Nursing is not about grand gestures, but about dignity,” he said.’The world does not merely need more healthcare workers, it needs care givers. It needs you,” he said.
