Gabriella Seal, a 2026 bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) graduate, opened the ceremony by recognizing the graduates’ supporters—faculty, staff, families, friends, partners, and children—who carried them through moments when the journey felt overwhelming.

“If there’s one thing that defines this class, it’s that no two of us took the same path to get here,” she said. “Some of us dreamed of becoming nurses for years, while others found our way through entirely different experiences and chapters of our lives. Regardless of the path, we all made the same choice: to step into something difficult, meaningful, and deeply demanding.”

She recalled times of exhaustion and uncertainty, when the weight of their training felt especially real.

“Through it all, we continued to show up for our patients, for our future, and for each other,” she said. “Somewhere along the way, this stopped being just about passing exams or mastering skills. It became about learning how to stand beside people in some of the hardest moments of their lives.”

91����Ƶ nursing graduates recite “The Nurse’s Pledge,” led by Dr. Laura Yoder during Saturday’s pinning ceremony.

Gabriella Seal ’26 (left) delivers opening remarks during the ceremony. Dr. David Rosie (right) served as keynote speaker.

Dr. David Rosie, an emergency medicine physician at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg who has worked in medicine for 26 years, delivered the keynote address. He said he is continually impressed by how 91����Ƶ’s “fantastic nurses” rise to the occasion.

He encouraged the graduates to question orders from doctors and physician assistants that do not seem to make sense, think outside the box, seek unconventional solutions, and trust their instincts.

“If you have a sense that something isn’t right, then you should listen to that,” he said. “Sometimes the treatment isn’t right. Sometimes it’s someone being trafficked or abused. Those things don’t announce themselves.”

91����Ƶ’s nursing graduates received pins and stethoscopes from those who supported them throughout their nursing coursework.

The ceremony recognized the following BSN graduates, each of whom was pinned by a special person in their lives. Samantha Johnston, instructor of nursing, read their dedications and shared their future plans.

Class of 2026 graduates

Leah Beachy will work in the emergency department at Augusta Health.

Madison Bowyer will work on the organ transplant floor at the University of Virginia Health.

Odesa Elezi will work in geriatric nursing at Bridgewater Retirement Community.

Abigail Foltz will work in medical oncology at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Emily Guin will work in the emergency department at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Jacqueline Jackson is exploring her future plans.

Meygan Kyger will work as a registered nurse at the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Reina Landa will work in the emergency department at Virginia Commonwealth University Health.

Caris Lucas will work in medical oncology at Sentara RMH Medical Center. 

Gabriella Seal will work in the emergency department at Augusta Health.

Marianne Short will work in the progressive care unit at Augusta Health.

Elijah Spicher will work in correctional nursing at Middle River Regional Jail.

April Stafford will work in the progressive care unit at Augusta Health.

Joshua Stucky will work in the intensive care unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Emily Suarez Nunez is exploring her future plans.

Kristina Suslaev will work in the emergency department at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

In her closing remarks, Seal told her fellow graduates they will care for people in some of their most vulnerable and meaningful moments. Nurses will be present in times of fear, healing, grief, hope, and heartbreak, she said, and how they show up will matter more than they may ever fully realize.

“Long after people forget the details of their hospital stay, they will remember how they were treated,” she said. “They will remember who made them feel seen, heard, safe, and cared for. That is the kind of nurse each of us now has the opportunity to become.”

Watch a video recording of the ceremony below!

“Brittany Scott’s actions changed the trajectory of this patient’s life and exemplify the very heart of the DAISY Award,” it adds.

“With upgraded equipment, 91����Ƶ will provide richer, practical laboratory, research, and project-based experiences to prepare students for lucrative careers in STEM fields and nursing,” states a grant application submitted by Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success for 91����Ƶ.

The grant request also includes a “small salary allocation to support the procurement, calibration, and installation of equipment” and to train faculty and students on its use.

It further states that the upgraded equipment would provide a significant educational opportunity for current students, attract faculty and students to 91����Ƶ, and enhance contributions to STEM and health care fields through research, publication, consultation with local businesses, and a better-prepared workforce in Virginia.

“This project would amplify the impact of our current NSF STEM scholarship program, which increases postsecondary education access for academically talented, Pell-eligible students,” the request states.

The “91����Ƶ grows STEM” project is among a list of community priorities highlighted in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal spending bill, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced in a news release in February.

For a full list of projects in the Shenandoah Valley and Highlands regions of Virginia funded through the FY26 spending bill, .

91����Ƶ 91����Ƶ

91����Ƶ is a fully accredited university known for its outstanding STEM and health program preparation. Over 90% of job-seeking graduates of 91����Ƶ find employment quickly, with many in nursing and STEM employed before graduation. 91����Ƶ is a Forbes Best Return on Investment University and is one of the best colleges in the regional South (U.S. News & World Report). 91����Ƶ STEM students gain practical and technical skills through project-based experiences and social networks through mentorship from faculty and supportive learning communities. 

As director, Weaver will manage overall operations for its associate degree program and oversee its curricular outcomes. She looks forward to collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to ensure its curriculum is continuously improving, she said.

“Nursing is a calling, and I think nursing education is even more so,” she said. “We have a great program and faculty here, and I’m excited to continue developing future nurses who provide exceptional care for their communities.”

Since joining the school in April 2023, Weaver has served as faculty, academic advisor, and mentor. She was instrumental in course development, student evaluation, and faculty onboarding, according to a from the school.

From 2019 to 2023, she served as a faculty member for the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing, where she led courses across multiple specialties and contributed to its re-accreditation. In addition to a BSN, Weaver holds an MSN with a nurse educator focus from Chamberlain University.

Rebecca Stoudt, associate dean for nursing student education at the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, said Weaver brings a wealth of experience in nursing education, clinical practice, and academic leadership. “I am confident she will continue to make our school of nursing the first choice for aspiring nurses looking for hands-on education that prioritizes their own communities’ health and well-being,” she said in the release.

Heeding the call

For as long as she can remember, Weaver says, her grandmother lived with multiple sclerosis. “I watched my grandfather really care for her,” she said. “That’s when I started to gravitate toward health care, specifically nursing.”

She was already well-acquainted with 91����Ƶ and its nursing program. Her older brother, Joshua Byler ’07, was majoring in elementary education, and her aunt, Lynda Byler Miller ’74, had graduated with a BSN. “I had heard some great things about 91����Ƶ, and I knew from others that it had a strong nursing program,” Weaver said.

The summer before her senior year at 91����Ƶ, Weaver completed a nurse externship at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital (then known as Lewistown Hospital) and remembers feeling that she had been adequately prepared by her education. “It felt like I had a solid foundation of knowledge,” she said.

Sometimes, when she’s teaching nursing students during clinicals, she reminisces about her own days as a nursing student. One of her instructors liked to read over a patient’s health history and physical and quiz her on some of the more difficult words. “At the time, I don’t think I enjoyed that,” she joked, “but looking back, it was a really helpful learning tool.”

You can always tell the difference between 91����Ƶ nursing graduates and other nurses without asking them, says Kate Clark, associate professor of nursing at 91����Ƶ. 

“It’s what we hear all the time from hospitals and other employers, that there’s something special about 91����Ƶ nurses in their approach to patients and their professionalism,” she said. “One major element is our family nursing class, which helps shape both their self-confidence and their cultural humility.”

That class, the semester-long Nursing & Family in Community course (NURS 426), partners undergraduate nursing students in pairs with refugee and immigrant families in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Students in the course, who are juniors and seniors midway through their clinicals, visit the families at their homes weekly to promote health education, help them navigate the U.S.’s complicated health system, and teach them basic essential skills to help them adjust to life in a new country.

These skills might include: navigating a phone tree to schedule a medical appointment, setting up taxi rides to appointments, using the bus system, enrolling in an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, and understanding the difference between primary care and the emergency room. Students have been known to ride Harrisonburg city buses with families, walk with them to a local food pantry, help read their mail, attend medical appointments with them, and connect them to community resources such as clothing closets and bicycles through the program (led by alum Ben Wyse ’99). 

Students might tell families they can expect to see people in costumes walking around the neighborhood and knocking on their door for Halloween. They also might help families from warmer climates prepare for cold weather with appropriate winter clothing. 

Students communicate with their assigned families using either their own foreign language skills or a provided interpreter. This semester, there are eight different languages spoken by families in the course’s Family Partnership Project.

Through the course, 91����Ƶ nursing students build long-term therapeutic relationships with families, learn to provide care for a family unit, and experience the barriers that marginalized groups in the community face when trying to access health care.

“Because they get to experience those things from the family’s perspective, it gives them a good understanding of how the health system is not always designed for certain types of patients and the challenges they experience,” Clark said. “Whether or not they pursue home visiting long-term, it makes them better, more compassionate nurses across the board.”

She said the course sets 91����Ƶ’s nursing program apart from others. “I’ve rarely heard of another school that has a standalone family nursing class that involves home visiting,” she said, “especially not one that focuses on refugee and immigrant families.”

A ‘win win’

Many of the families participating in the Family Partnership Project have a tenuous grasp of English, are lower income, and need additional information to be able to navigate this new country. 91����Ƶ’s nursing program partners with , a local office of Church World Service that serves and advocates for refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and immigrants in the Shenandoah Valley. The agency identifies local families in need who can benefit from the project’s tailored support, resource referral, and health teaching. The students’ help is invaluable, especially at a time when policies enacted by the current presidential administration have led to funding and staffing constraints for the organization. 

“We’re grateful for 91����Ƶ’s nursing program,” said Susannah Lepley, Virginia director of Church World Service. “I like programs that are a win win for both the university and the families and this is definitely one of those. The students get a lot out of it, the families get a lot out of it, and I think it’s a strong selling point for 91����Ƶ.”

In the past, students have worked with families who have been in the U.S. for only one to two months. This semester, due to fewer refugees entering the country, nursing students are working with families who have been in the U.S. for a year or more. This has allowed them to focus on longer-term concerns such as nutrition, stress management, and mental health.

“You can’t overstate the friendship aspect,” Lepley said. “People often leave a pretty intense network of support back home and they come here and they don’t have that anymore. They have to recreate it from scratch and I think the nursing students are a big part of that.”

The epitome of 91����Ƶ nursing

Clark, who has taught the family nursing class for the past 13 years, graduated from 91����Ƶ with a BSN in 2007. She took the course as a student under longtime professor and mentor Ann Graber Hershberger ’76. During her semester in the course, Clark was paired with a Spanish-speaking single mom in Timberville. 

Up until that course, Clark had questioned whether she actually wanted to become a nurse. She felt like there was never enough time during her clinicals at the hospital and that she was just checking boxes. 

“I knew I wanted to do something with a bigger impact, and when I took that class, I felt like I could finally let out the breath I had been holding since I started the nursing program,” she said. “I don’t know if I would’ve stayed in nursing had it not been for my experiences in that class.”

Another alumna from that year, Rebekah Good Charles ’07, said the class prepared her well for the work she now does as a community health nurse serving families around Lancaster, Pennsylvania. During her semester in the course, she visited with an immigrant family from Mexico and helped them sort through medical bills, contact financial aid, and fill out paperwork. 

“It was interesting to see the health care system from that side,” Charles said. “You can do all these things for your patients when they’re at the hospital, but when they get home, they’re left with all these loose ends to tie up. It was eye-opening to see that and help someone work through that, and it made me realize just how complicated the health system can be.”

Lydia Tissue Harnish ’17, MSN ’23, uses the same skills she acquired from the family nursing class in her job as a maternity educator for the Lancaster Nurse-Family Partnership. During her senior year at 91����Ƶ, she was paired with a refugee family in Bridgewater expecting a second child. Harnish spent the semester preparing the family for what the birthing experience in the U.S. would be like.

“It’s really the epitome of 91����Ƶ nursing,” she said. “We’re in the patients’ home setting, assessing the whole person, their environment, and their family as a whole.”

‘Begin to thrive’

When senior nursing major Joshua Stucky and another 91����Ƶ nursing student met with a Syrian refugee family for the first time in January, only a month after they had arrived in the U.S., he felt overwhelmed at the prospect of helping with their cultural transition.

“They didn’t know how to use their phones or get their kids to school and didn’t have a way to get around,” he said. “And so I walked out of that first meeting thinking, How are we ever going to help this family? … You eventually have to set an expectation that you’re not going to solve all their problems.”

Over the course of the semester together, the pair of students was able to solve some of them. Through a connection he had with Bikes for Neighbors, they were able to provide the family with bicycles. They were also able to ensure the children received the vaccines they needed and that the family had access to a neighbor’s car.

During one of their final home visits with the family, while talking to the parents, he remembers seeing the two younger children bound into the home with their backpacks. “They had been going to school and, even though we didn’t play a huge role in that, it was just the most rewarding thing to watch them begin to thrive,” Stucky said.

Learn more about 91����Ƶ’s nursing program at .

“It’s all of those things,” she said. “It’s about caring for the less fortunate, giving the marginalized a voice, and ensuring that nursing follows its scopes and standards and code of ethics. That’s a unique lens I see in myself and other 91����Ƶ grads: the idea of nursing as a service.”

Furr, a full-time nurse at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, is deepening her education as an 91����Ƶ student enrolled in her third and final year of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, a consortium of 91����Ƶ and Goshen College. Last month, she was named the of the Eleanor C. Lambertsen Scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year. The scholarship is awarded annually to a doctoral student in nursing education or administration through Nurses Educational Funds Inc. (NEF).

“I was honestly surprised to get the scholarship,” Furr said. “They don’t tell you how many people apply for it, but they describe it as very competitive. Many of the previous recipients were PhD students doing amazing research, and so it felt validating to be recognized for what I’ve been able to do at a community hospital.”

In her role as Magnet Program Manager at Sentara RMH, she primarily helps in “caring for the caregivers,” ensuring nurses at the hospital get the education, support, and professional development they need, as well as using data and quality metrics to improve the care they provide for their patients. “Having a nurse who really cares makes such a difference,” she said. “For me, that’s how I care for my community—by improving what we do so that every patient gets better care.”

Furr has worked at the Harrisonburg hospital for the past 23 years, starting as a new 91����Ƶ nursing grad, in various roles including registered nurse (pediatrics), patient care supervisor, and nursing professional development practitioner. She taught 91����Ƶ nursing students as an adjunct clinical instructor for three semesters in 2023-24. The scholarship will be used to cover the remaining tuition costs that aren’t reimbursed by Sentara, she said.

Furr graduated from 91����Ƶ with a BSN  in 2001. She earned her MSN in nursing education from Walden University in Minneapolis in 2022.

Driven by a commitment to improving the experience of nurses, her doctoral project will focus on enhancing organizational support for health care staff who have experienced workplace assaults and examine how that support affects staff retention. Research shows that the initial care that staff receive after an assault often determines how well they cope with the experience, Furr said. 

Workplace assaults, including those by patients against providers, are a “very real problem,” said Michael Horst, dean of 91����Ƶ’s Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences division. “In every circle I’ve been in, people talk about how difficult it is to recruit and retain nurses because it can be a very unsafe work environment,” he said. “This kind of doctoral work addresses that issue directly, and 91����Ƶ has been preparing Margaret to tackle it since her undergraduate studies.”

Furr said her favorite part of the 91����Ƶ-Goshen College DNP consortium is the small cohort size, which promotes relationships and community building, as well as the opportunity to learn from professors at both universities. The program’s values of stewardship, human flourishing, sacred covenant, and peacemaking also resonate with her, she added.

What can a DNP do?

DNP programs prepare nurse leaders at the highest level to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice. Furr said she plans to use her DNP degree to manage projects and drive change, support staff growth through nursing excellence, help staff understand data and processes, and develop better educational programs.

91����Ƶ 91����Ƶ’s DNP program

The 33-credit, fully online and asynchronous program, accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), is for nurses who want to work in health care administration, teach, or be a change agent for their workplace. Students complete 10 online courses and at least one residency during the 24-month program. Eligible applicants must hold a master of science degree in nursing (MSN) degree from an accredited school with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher.

The program combines the best aspects and shared values of both 91����Ƶ and Goshen College. “The key advantage is access to faculty expertise from two universities,” said 91����Ƶ Nursing Professor Melody Cash. “Plus, as a student, you’re learning alongside peers from both schools, which provides a wider range of perspectives.”

The consortium launched in January 2018, with the first cohort graduating in May 2020.

In addition to its BSN and DNP programs, 91����Ƶ also offers an accredited MSN program and graduate certificates in nursing. Learn more about the university’s nursing programs at . 

The application period for the next NEF scholarship process opens Oct. 1 and closes on Feb. 2. To apply for a scholarship, visit .

The full-tuition scholarship is 91����Ƶ’s highest academic award. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, community and extracurricular involvement, creativity, clarity of thought, and leadership potential. 

The Yoder Scholars program was founded by Carol and Paul R. Yoder Jr., both graduates of 1963, with a significant leadership gift to endow the scholarship. Read more about their long legacy of philanthropy here.

The Webb Scholars program honors Ada Webb, one of the first African-American students to attend the university, and Margaret (Peggy) Webb, the first African-American graduate in 1954.

Applicants were tasked with creating a 400-word conceptual response to the prompt, “There are three types of people in the world; which are you?” through the medium of a blank 3”x5” card in whichever way they chose.

Read about the 2025 Yoder/Webb Scholars below:

Zainab Kamran

During her senior year of high school, Zainab Kamran, a psychology major from Lahore, Pakistan, had spent two to three months researching different universities in the U.S. She had come across the Wikipedia pages for James Madison University and the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Those pages naturally led her right to 91����Ƶ. “I liked what I read about the school, but then I forgot all about it,” she said.

When her older brother, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, mentioned that an economics professor of his (Ryan Swartzendruber ’16) had graduated from 91����Ƶ and “loved the experience,” Kamran resumed her search. “I started to dig deeper and was fascinated by 91����Ƶ’s focus on community and service because those were things I was involved in,” said Kamran. The school’s small size, which allows for closer connections and meaningful one-on-one interactions with professors, was also a major draw, she added.

While at International School Lahore, Kamran was president of the Community Building Society club and organized volunteers to serve free meals to those in need. On Christmas, she helped pack and distribute more than 60 gifts for Christian orphans in Lahore. She was also involved as a publication director of events on campus and collaborated with a professor on a research paper. She received the Director’s Award for Community Building and the Director’s Award for Research and Publication.

Kamran said she’s excited to take part in service- and art-related activities and clubs on campus and that she’s found a welcoming home at 91����Ƶ. “The people here are so friendly,” she said. “91����Ƶ has such a diverse international student population. I’ve met students from Ethiopia, Kenya, India, and Afghanistan, and it’s been a lot of fun meeting them.”

Kayden Beidler

Kayden Beidler, a nursing major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is the latest in a long line of family members to attend 91����Ƶ. His older sister, Miranda Beidler, is a senior; his parents, Lyle Beidler, class of ’98, and Melissa Spory Beidler ’98, met and began dating while 91����Ƶ students; and his aunt, Marcy Spory Weaver ’08, graduated from the university’s top-tier nursing program.

With so many personal connections at 91����Ƶ, the school automatically made his list of colleges to consider. But, he still had to decide for himself. When Beidler visited 91����Ƶ during an Admitted Student Day and spoke with a nursing professor, he came away thoroughly impressed with the quality of the program. “The way she described how 91����Ƶ teaches nursing really resonated with me,” he said. “Seeing those values of caring for others reflected not just in the major I want to study, but also across the college, made me think, ‘This is where I want to be.’”

A National Merit Scholarship finalist this year, Beidler received National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for his story submissions in 2022 (Honorable Mention) and 2023 (Gold Key Award, American Voices nominee). He was also selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Regional Chorus Festival. Beidler, who has joined the 91����Ƶ University Choir, was involved in all 12 of his high school’s theater productions during his four years at Lancaster Mennonite High School, and served as editor of the school’s literary arts magazine.

Beidler said he wanted to attend a college that aligned with his values of community, living intentionally, caring for others, and caring for the world. “91����Ƶ checked all those boxes,” he said. “Visiting those other schools only made me more certain that 91����Ƶ was the right fit for me.”

The history of nursing pinning ceremonies dates back to the Crusades, when monks caring for the sick and injured were given a Maltese Cross, Dr. Cathy Rittenhouse, associate professor of nursing, shared in her opening remarks. Florence Nightingale awarded medals of excellence to her outstanding nursing students, which led to the tradition of presenting nursing graduates with pins. The nursing pin symbolizes graduates’ completion of their education, their entry into the nursing profession, and their commitment to providing compassionate care, Rittenhouse said.

“It is widely acknowledged that an undergraduate degree in nursing is one of the most difficult and challenging majors,” she said. “These graduates have had not only to learn complex and detailed information, but actually apply it in real time in their clinical experiences where their patients’ lives and safety depended on them.”

The ceremony recognized the following graduates, each of whom earned a bachelor of science in nursing. As they strode up to the stage in white coats to receive their pins—many presented by parents and family members—their future plans and biggest inspirations were shared.

Mary Kate Bomberger will work either on the oncology floor at Sentara RMH Medical Center (Harrisonburg) or in the progressive care unit at Augusta Health (Fishersville).

Mild Butsridoung wants to work in an operating room.

Taylor Chandler is exploring her options, with her main interest being intensive care unit and emergency department nursing. Her goal is to earn a doctor of nursing practice.

Liza Churchill remains undecided because “there are so many endless opportunities to choose in nursing.”

Daniela Espinoza will work in the intensive care unit at the University of Virginia Medical Center (Charlottesville). She would like to earn a doctor of nursing practice and specialize in pediatrics.

Rachel Hermosillo will work in the medical-surgical unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center. She would like to earn a master’s degree so that she can teach.

Jordan Kerr will work in the stroke unit at Meritus Medical Center in Maryland. Her goal is to work in the emergency department.

Lydia Lee will work in the medical-surgical unit at Wamego Health Center in Kansas.

Halie Mast will work in the medical-surgical oncology unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Floribella Mendoza will work on a medical-surgical floor. 

Virginia Miller will work in the progressive care unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Yeana Park will work in a medical-surgical telemetry unit at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Trinity Price will work in the progressive care unit at Virginia Commonwealth University Health in Richmond. She plans to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. 

Ava Shenk will work in the stroke and dialysis unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Aixa Warren will work in the emergency department at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Jenna Weaver will move to Anchorage, Alaska, and would like to work in a progressive care unit.

Rachel Wheeler will work in the labor and delivery unit at Augusta Health. She would like to become either a women’s health nurse practitioner or a certified nurse midwife.

In a farewell message to the graduates, Hannah Tissue Ferguson ’14, assistant professor of nursing at 91����Ƶ, reminded them that they will always have a support system at 91����Ƶ. “As you begin your next steps, wherever that may be, remember the values that have shaped you here,” she said. “Lean into them and let them guide your calling. And when the work is hard, which it will be, know you are not alone. You are a part of a long line of 91����Ƶ nurses who carry light into dark places and you all, without a doubt, will continue that legacy.”

Tammie McDonald-Brouwer ’04 opened Plena Integrative Health Center in October. Melody Mast ’00 became partner and joined in January. McDonald-Brouwer and Mast are certified nurse-midwives (CNM) and women’s health nurse practitioners (WHNP). They are graduates of 91����Ƶ and Frontier Nursing University (Kentucky), and have served families in the Shenandoah Valley for more than 15 years.

McDonald-Brouwer credited 91����Ƶ with guiding her toward launching the health center.

“The adult degree program helped me look further than my nursing career, inspiring me to go for my master’s degree and believing I could start my own practice,” she said. 

Mast, an adjunct faculty member of 91����Ƶ nursing, said the program prepared her for a career in health care.

“91����Ƶ, and particularly their nursing department, was formative in my passion for excellent care along with breaking down boundaries to health care,” she said.

The health center specializes in gynecological and primary care services. It aims to be a “one-stop health care destination for women” providing a holistic approach to overall health and wellbeing. The center offers annual physical exams, including thorough lab work, and both providers are equipped to manage acute respiratory infections, mental health disorders, thyroid problems, weight loss, hypertension and early onset diabetes. The center also offers chiropractic, massage and counseling services. 

Plena Integrative Health Center is located at 119-B University Blvd. in Harrisonburg.

For more information, visit .

Five groups of graduating nursing students presented colloquiums in a variety of topics:

• College athlete injuries related to poor nutrition,
• the relationship of trauma and chronic disease among immigrant and refugee populations,
• disparities in the rates of maternal mortality across race and socioeconomic status,
• disparities of treatment and diagnosis of ADHD in adolescents, and
• the challenges that children with chronic illnesses face.

View the presentations on the page.

Throughout the day, visitors could check out the projects that students in the Nursing Care of Children (Nursing 325) class created. The brightly colored and tactile toys were designed to help children enhance their motor, social and cognitive skills.

91����Ƶ Nursing alumna Mirlene Perry ’07 served as keynote speaker. She shared her experiences from working as a surgical nurse in rural Haiti and in Tanzania as well as her journey from her studies at 91����Ƶ, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and now as a Ph. D. student at Duke University. A cardiac nurse for the past 15 years, Perry decided to pursue a career as a nurse scientist to address her passion for community-based primary health care in low- and middle-income countries (). “In places like Haiti, Tanzania and other low-income countries, individuals may go through their entire lives without encountering a physician,” she said. “However, nurses and midwives are often the first, if not the sole, provider a person interacts with in their lifetime.”

Following the keynote, 18 nursing students were inducted into the Sigma honor society. New members from the pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program are: Abigail Aleshevich, Elizabeth Campbell, Jessamine Domingo, Anna Goff, Lauren Hall, Nutifafa Havi, Kylie Heatwole, Kara Kornhaus, Madison LaFlamme, Ashley Mellinger, Hailee Napier, Sarah Pereverzoff, Claiborne Poston, Maddi Rittenhouse, Yasmin Rodriguez, Imogen Stephens, Kendall Stettler and Reagan Stone.

The Pi Mu chapter’s local mission is to enhance nursing scholarship, leadership and networking among students, faculty and nursing professionals in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

For more photos from the event, visit .

A new nurse aide (aka Certified Nursing Assistant, or CNA) training program at 91����Ƶ Lancaster is providing job opportunities for those interested in the entry-level nurse aide position while meeting the needs of the numerous nursing homes in Lancaster County and surrounding regions. The program is the brainchild of Mary Jensen, vice president for enrollment and strategic growth at 91����Ƶ, who sought out a solution to the shifting healthcare needs in the pandemic-laden summer of 2021 while serving as associate provost of 91����Ƶ Lancaster. “We had one of the first RN to BSN programs in the Lancaster region and had developed a reputation in healthcare. While it became apparent during COVID that workers were leaving healthcare, there were also people who still needed jobs and wanted to work in healthcare, but had to start at the ground.”

Jensen consulted with the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, members of her team and 91����Ƶ administration to research the viability of a scaffolded workforce development plan that involved partnering with area nursing homes to provide their employees with CNA, LPN, RN and BSN training. The results of this long-term strategy revealed a positive economic and educational impact to both 91����Ƶ and Lancaster County, one of the largest retirement regions in the nation. So, in the fall of 2021, Jensen began the process of acquiring approval from the state of Pennsylvania to run a CNA program. A short time later, she was offered her current position in Harrisonburg, so would become a supporter of the project from a distance.

Christine Sharp, who was named executive director of 91����Ƶ Lancaster in June 2022, led the Lancaster team through implementation of the CNA program. She continued conversations Jensen had started with executives from local nursing homes—and before long Landis Homes, Mennonite Home and Fairmount Homes had signed on as partners. The three nursing homes donated most of the equipment—including six hospital beds—for the classroom-turned-lab that was created to spec at 91����Ƶ Lancaster by its resourceful staff in October 2022; an onsite lab was required as part of the state application process for administering a CNA program. “I love working in partnership,” shared Sharp. “It’s powerful for the school. It’s powerful for the community. And it’s powerful for our partner organizations.”

With partnerships in place, Sharp shifted to hiring instructors to teach the CNA training classes that would begin in January 2023. Seasoned nursing professionals Carmen Miller and Bernice Reynolds ‘21 stepped in to fill the two spots required to get the program up and running. Miller agreed to teach in a part-time capacity. Reynolds, who graduated from 91����Ƶ Lancaster’s RN to BSN program and had Miller as an instructor, accepted an offer to teach part-time in January before moving into a full-time role as director of the nurse aide training program in March. Both women were required to take a course through Penn State to become certified to teach classes at 91����Ƶ Lancaster as part of a strict set of state standards for CNA instructors.

Launching a program

After a nine-month process, 91����Ƶ Lancaster received state certification—and Sharp and staff worked with Landis Homes, Mennonite Home and Fairmount to fill training slots for the brand-new, six-week CNA program. Cohort 1 launched with 10 Landis Homes employees in January; cohort 2 followed in March with five Mennonite Home and five Fairmount employees, and cohort 3 got underway in May with three employees from Mennonite Home, one from Fairmount, and one from Pleasant View Communities—a new nursing home partner. The program, which prepares employees to take both a written and skills nurse aide exam through Credentia for state certification, totals 120 hours and is divided into three parts: classroom/theory (45 hours), lab (35 hours), and clinicals (40 hours).

According to Reynolds, classroom instruction entails PowerPoint presentations, handouts, activities, and videos related to body systems, abuse, vital signs, pain levels, and “some 50 skills of daily living” (23 of which are Credentia skills) including washing the hair, handwashing and bathing. Lab time involves students practicing these skills on mannequins or on each other before working directly with the nursing home residents during clinicals. Sharp says a benefit of the partnerships is having clinical sites, which is an integral part of the training.

The need for nurse aides is so great that partners pay to send their employees through the CNA training program while also paying them their hourly rate, which can range from $18-$24. Mennonite Home even offered CNA candidates a $10K sign-on bonus, paid over two years, to fill its second shift. “It was so fortunate that 91����Ƶ Lancaster’s partnership and the sign-on bonus came together,” said Justin Lewis, HR recruiter and former CNA at Mennonite Home. “There is a huge demand in healthcare for CNAs, and 91����Ƶ has helped us fill our vacancies.” Lewis added that the Monday/Wednesday/Friday training schedule allows for a work-life balance with two days in between to “recoup, study, or potentially work.” (91����Ƶ Lancaster has since added an eight-week Tuesday/Thursday training option.)

Ramsuze Pierre was hired by Mennonite Home as a CNA after working in a fast-paced position as a technologist assistant at Lancaster General Hospital. “I wanted a slower-paced environment and the opportunity to get to know my residents,” said Pierre, who went through cohort 2. Pierre says she learned medical terminology and the importance of learning residents’ routines, body changes and mood swings in the CNA training program. “We learned everything that was on our exams,” declared Pierre. To date, 100 percent of students have passed the Pennsylvania state written exam, and 93 percent have passed the skills portion of the exam.

Tiffany Millner had been working as a laundry aide at Fairmount for nearly a year when she learned that CNA classes for cohort 2 would be held on MWF evenings, which fit her schedule. She applied, interviewed, and landed a CNA position with Fairmount, who sponsored her training. “I feel like I made a good choice by switching [jobs],” shared Millner, who says she “missed taking care of people” after having looked after her mom for five years before her passing in 2022. “91����Ƶ Lancaster’s program was amazing. Ms. Bernice (Reynolds) and Ms. Carmen (Miller) were excellent teachers and broke down our questions until we understood the answers.” Millner says she learned physical skills like how to “properly stand and hold your resident” to social-emotional skills like “making residents feel important and letting them be as independent as they can be.” She also grasped why as a laundry aide she had folded washcloths in fourths: because nurses use a clean area of cloth for each body part!

Meeting a need

Since starting in January, 91����Ƶ Lancaster’s training program has hosted celebrations of completion for three cohorts of students who are serving as CNAs in Landis Homes, Mennonite Home, Fairmount, and Pleasant View Communities. United Zion and Hospice & Community Care have signed on as partners, and several other nursing/senior care organizations have reached out to partner with 91����Ƶ Lancaster. Reynolds is hiring additional instructors, and three more cohorts are scheduled for 2023 to meet the nursing home needs and demand for the course by high school students and community members.

“I have a passion for the program because it has the capacity to change people’s lives,” said Reynolds. “Our nursing home residents deserve to be treated abuse-free with dignity and respect, and this program addresses the proper way to care for residents. It also recognizes a CNA job as a profession, can impact earning power, and is a stepping stone to other educational and professional opportunities in healthcare.”

With a model of success in place, 91����Ƶ Lancaster will continue to assess the marketability of an LPN training program and other offerings. Millner says she is satisfied with her CNA status for now, but that 91����Ƶ Lancaster should still start an LPN program. Pierre is “praying” for such a program. Whatever the future holds, Jensen believes 91����Ƶ Lancaster is living into its mission to “prepare people from all walks of life for the workforce.” She says the CNA program “diversifies what it means to be educated at 91����Ƶ” and “solidifies 91����Ƶ’s place in Lancaster County as a partner who is seen as innovative, flexible, and willing to work with people to meet actual needs of the community.” 

This article was published in the Spring/Summer 2023 Crossroads magazine.

While sharing information about nutrition, birth control and diabetes last summer, Katelyn Sellars experienced what it would be like to have face-to-face interactions with patients in a clinic. The nursing student at 91����Ƶ said the opportunity helped increase her confidence and learn about holistic approaches to patient care.

Learn more about nursing at 91����Ƶ.

Sellars interned with , a community health center, while studying at 91����Ƶ’s Washington Community Scholars’ Center. WCSC programs run in the fall and spring semesters, and in the summer. Students are placed in internships relevant to their majors and prospective career paths; they benefit from vocational mentoring and career exploration.

Nursing, pre-med and other pre-professional health sciences majors have great opportunities in Washington D.C. for challenging internships that complement their programs of study and help them better understand the life experiences of the patients they’ll be working with as professional clinicians, says program director Professor Ryan Good. 

The program has a strong reputation for placing students in internships that often lead to full-time job offers after graduation.

“WCSC’s program has enabled our nursing students to gain experience in the health care field that significantly broadens their perspective and prepares them for the workforce,” said Professor Melody Cash, undergraduate nursing program director. “Our students return with increased confidence, increased skills, and practical knowledge gleaned from interacting with colleagues in the field.”

Internships such as those offered through WCSC also provide nursing students with valuable professional references when they begin job hunting, Cash added. “These experiences always provide opportunities to not only show capacity for but also grow in professional communication, teamwork, collaboration and organizational skills.”

Read more from Sellars about her experiences below:

How does your experience at WCSC build on nursing coursework and experiences? 

Being a nurse in a hospital and being a nurse anywhere else look completely different. In Mary’s Center I was able to see nurses in roles that I did not even know were nursing fields. For example, their Employee Health Nurse performed N95 fit testing, reviewed employee health records, handled employee illness reports, data analysis, and much more. 

This internship allowed me to get a better understanding of patient populations. In community health you can get to know your patients and form a connection that allows for trust and long-term education. You can see patterns in the communities that you are serving and learn what needs to be done to address the larger issues that are causing health discrepancies. For example, Mary’s Center mainly serves low income Latinx populations in DC and Maryland and because of that focus, they gained an understanding of community needs and what might address those needs. 

What have you learned about yourself? 

Too many times to count, I have gotten the question about what line of nursing I would like to go into after school. The opportunity to speak to nurses in different positions in Mary’s Center allowed me to bounce my ideas off of them and get insight into how their journeys in nursing looked. This has given me greater confidence in my plans for nursing and has helped me focus in on what I would like to do in healthcare. 

What skills will you take with you?

In nursing school, most patient education work is theoretical, so I really benefited shadowing opportunities. I was able to observe educational appointments about nutrition, birth control, and diabetes. I also learned eClinicalWorks, the software that Mary’s Center and many other practices use for health records and practice management. 

Share with us a highlight of your internship.

One day, I paired with a medical assistant to travel to two patient homes. In the facilitated telehealth program, the MA can take vitals, draw labs, give vaccines, and use technology to connect the patient with their provider. The MA I was paired with told me how she finds this line of work to be extremely fulfilling. The patients who qualify for the facilitated telemedicine program are usually homebound and have chronic health conditions. We discussed how this also allows Mary’s Center to provide holistic care and address the patient’s social determinants of health. The MA is able to help patients apply for food supplementation programs, give references to case managers, and assess their home environment.

If you could change something about healthcare, what would you change?

Healthcare is expensive; we all know this. I don’t know the best way to solve this problem. People who are low income and/or are uninsured are stuck dealing with health conditions that worsen because they are unable to seek treatment and they are unable to afford preventive care. Washington DC has DC Healthcare Alliance which provides medical insurance to “low-income District residents who have no other health insurance and are not eligible for either Medicaid or Medicare.” Residents are eligible for DC Alliance regardless of immigration status, and many patients in Mary’s Center utilize this program to help with their healthcare needs. 

After spending last summer interning at a health clinic in Washington DC, nursing major Ashlyn Eby returned to her senior year studies at 91����Ƶ with some valuable field experience and a more realistic picture of the healthcare world.

Eby says getting out of the classroom and into the real world to interact with patients of all ages and backgrounds, including marginalized populations, has led her to a better understanding of the many factors involved in providing quality care.

To gain this experience, Eby enrolled in 91����Ƶ’s Washington Community Scholars’ Center, a program that offers professional internships and a community living experience located in the nation’s capital. She interned with Community of Hope, a community health clinic that provides quality healthcare and housing to families. Eby was on two interdisciplinary teams with goals of reducing uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension in the population they serve.

“WCSC’s program has enabled our nursing students to gain experience in the health care field that significantly broadens their perspective and prepares them for the workforce,” said Professor Melody Cash, undergraduate nursing program director. “Our students return with increased confidence, increased skills, and practical knowledge gleaned from interacting with colleagues in the field.”

Internships such as those offered through WCSC also provide nursing students with valuable professional references when they begin job hunting, Cash added. “These experiences always provide opportunities to not only show capacity for but also grow in professional communication, teamwork, collaboration and organizational skills.”

Nursing, pre-med and other pre-professional health sciences majors have great opportunities in Washington D.C. to find rewarding and challenging internships, says program director Professor Ryan Good. 

WCSC programs run in the fall and spring semesters. Participation fulfills 91����Ƶ’s intercultural requirement. Typically a semester experience fits best in the spring of sophomore year prior to beginning the clinical level of the program, Cash said. 

Other options for nursing students include participating in the summer between junior and senior year. The program has a strong reputation for placing students in internships that often lead to full-time job offers after graduation.

Read more about successful students who were offered full-time employment after graduation (two computer science grads were just the latest: Tessa Waidelich ’21 and Terry Jones ’21).

Learn more about summer 2022 internship placements here.

Below Eby shares more about her summer at WCSC with , a nonprofit organization dedicated towards improving health and ending family homelessness to make Washington, DC more equitable.

What is a highlight of your internship? 

The highlight of my internship was being on interdisciplinary CARE teams at Community of Hope. Because of the explosion of medical TV shows in the past ten years, there is a picture of how medicine works that is broadcasted by these shows. A clear hierarchy where doctors are on top of the rest of the staff is included in the show, they are seen as less than or as if they must take the doctor’s word as gospel. In this CARE team I saw a nurse taking the role of leadership, medical assistants not only being valued for the work they did, but given support with their work. Providers were willing to do non-traditional tasks to help the group and balance the workload, and everyone was truly appreciated for the contributions they make to the healthcare process beyond typical diagnosing and treating. 

What skills will you take with you? 

I was able to grow my critical thinking skills and grasp of the nursing process in the context of long-term care and care over a lifetime, in comparison to the nursing process of short-term acute care we develop during clinical experiences. I was able to use the nursing lens and truly appreciate all of the factors of daily life that impact a person’s health and how socioeconomic status and healthcare infrastructures can create significant barriers to health. 

What have you learned about yourself? 

I learned I am very passionate about equal healthcare access and the ways in which our system needs to be changed to catch up with the rest of the world.

How does this build on your nursing coursework and experiences? 

I was able to see a different side of nursing than we learn about at school. In nursing school, you get to learn the “cool” side of nursing (NG placement, venipuncture, medication administration) but at Community of Hope, I was able to learn about how nurses take leadership and managerial roles in the primary care setting. Nurses at Community of Hope are responsible for providing education and higher-level nursing care to the entire population of the site, from newborns to elder populations. I also learned about government and private funding and grants and how nurses can be responsible for making sure their clinics are funded.

If you could change something about healthcare, what would you change?

I would change the businesslike model of hospitals and the influence insurance companies are allowed to have over healthcare providers and their patients. 

What do you think other nursing students or future medical professionals could learn from working in a community health center? 

I think all healthcare students should volunteer in the community health setting for one semester. Working in this setting allows you to understand what these populations are fighting against to improve their health and all of the cards stacked against them in our current system. The populations you are working with are also typically stigmatized in the media for their health struggles and working in a community health setting allows you to see how these individuals ended up in these situations.

Jamie Reich, WCSC associate director of communications and recruitment, contributed to this article.

The Dean’s List, compiled at the end of each semester, includes degree-seeking students who achieve a semester GPA of at least 3.75 with no W, I, or F grades for 12 semester hours of standard grades.

Katy Amaya, a Nursing major from Springfield, Va.

Carolyn Ansel, a Nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Gigi Atkinson, a Nursing major from Rockingham, Va.

Heather Auville, a Nursing major from Dayton, Va.

Jonathan Barni, a Nursing major from Rockingham, Va.

Priyanka Bhuta, a Nursing major from Richmond, Texas

Andrea Biesecker, a Leadership and Organizational Management major from Bear, Delaware

Mallory Bontreger, a Nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Nicholas D’Amico, a Leadership and Organizational Management Aviation major from Harrisburg, Pa.

Elizabeth Dofflemyer, a Nursing major from Port Republic, Va.

April Eavers, a Nursing major from Rockingham, Va.

Jennifer Filler-Morris, a Nursing major from Elkton, Va.

Dana Gaultney, a Nursing major from Dallastown, Pa.

Jaclyn Gooden, a Nursing major from Elkton, Va.

McKenzie Harpine, a Nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Makenna Holz, a Nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Terra Jones, a Leadership and Organizational Management major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Shiloh Lehman, a Leadership and Organizational Management Aviation major from Chambersburg, Va.

Mike Marino, a Leadership and Organizational Management major from Lancaster, Pa.

Kristopher Mast, a Nursing major from Lancaster, Pa.

Taylor Metzler, a Nursing major from Bridgewater, Va.

Quintas Mills, a Nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Brad Mullet, a Nursing major from Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Jonathan Nielsen, a Nursing major from Bakersfield, Ca.

Sussana Owusu-Ansah, a Nursing major from Springfield, Va.

Amber Skalicky, a Nursing major from Occoquan, Va.

Becky Stum, a Leadership and Organizational Management major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Tracey Veney, a Leadership and Organizational Management major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Loni Waters, a Nursing major from Lancaster, Pa.

Nicole Wetherell, a Nursing major from Weyers Cave, Va.

Alice Wheeler, a Nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va.

Jennifer Wiatrowski, a Leadership and Organizational Management major from Luray, Va.

91����Ƶ (91����Ƶ) has announced the 2022 Yoder and Webb Scholars. The scholarships cover full tuition and include admission into 91����Ƶ’s Honors Program.

The Yoder Scholars program was founded by Carol and Paul R. Yoder Jr., both graduates of 1963, with a gift of more than $1.2 million. [Read more about their reluctance for a spotlight and long legacy of philanthropy when named as 2011 Philanthropists of the Year by the Fundraising Professionals of America, Shenandoah chapter.]

The Webb Scholars program honors Ada Webb, one of the first African-American students to attend the university; and Margaret (Peggy) Webb who was the first African-American graduate in 1954.

Incoming first-years compete for the award at Honors Weekend. This year’s application included a 400-word response to the question, “There are three types of people in the world; which are you?” Applicants were also challenged to create a conceptual response by communicating anything they wanted through the medium of a blank 3×5 card.

Honors faculty make their selections based on academic performance, community and extracurricular involvement, creativity, clarity of thought, and leadership potential.

Read about the 2022 Yoder and Webb scholars: Elili Asefa, Nia Boyd, Anne Cornelius, Maria Longenecker, and Arelys Martinez Fabian.

Elili Asefa

When Elili Asefa visited 91����Ƶ during Honors Weekend, she immediately felt like she would belong here. “The two days that I was here were truly amazing,” she said. “I met incredible people and made friends that instantly welcomed me to campus.” 

The environment is diverse and inclusive, she said. “With the cross-cultural engagements and the emphasis of faith and peacebuilding present at 91����Ƶ, I feel like I will be able to enrich my canvas throughout my time here.”

A native of Nairobi, Kenya, she moved at age five to Ethiopia and at nine to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

She was a member of the varsity track and cross country teams and competed for Lancaster City Track Club during her J.P. McCaskey High School. Asefa was also involved in Black Student Union and Gospel Choir, and served as the student representative to the school board and a church youth leader.

She earned recognition as the 2021-2022 McCAskey Female Athlete of the Year, student of the month, and L-L-league Scholar Athlete. She was also a member of National Honors Society and Distinguished Honor Roll. 

Asefa originally planned to become a physical therapist, but has decided to pivot to nursing. “I always valued health institutions and the great importance they bring to the world,” Asefa said. “As a woman of color, I also hope to create a chain that will inspire more women of color to aim to pursue a health career. I believe that bringing more diversity to this field is crucial for the future of all health institutions around the world.”

Nia Boyd

Nia Boyd, from Richmond, Virginia, plans to major in art and English with minors in either pre-law or Spanish. She hopes to become a criminal lawyer.

Boyd played field hockey and softball for Henrico High School. She earned an honorable mention in field hockey for 2nd Team All-Region , and for softball, two Warrior awards. She is looking forward to running on 91����Ƶ’s track and field team.

“When it came to my sports, I enjoyed the release I felt. When I was entering high school, the transition was harder than most because I had lost my father in July,” she said. “I think my sports taught me perseverance through the pain and that anything is possible.”

Boyd was also a member of her school’s mock trial team. She earned the Best Attorney in Virginia award twice. She was the first at Henrico to have achieved this in her first year of competition, which her coach named as remarkable. As a senior, she earned a perfect score. The mock trial experience helped her learn to articulate her feelings or beliefs and advocate effectively for others.

She was also a member of the Black Student Union. “This club showed me how to embrace my roots and be proud of who I was,” she said.

Boyd chose 91����Ƶ because of the community. “I loved the atmosphere on campus and enjoyed how everyone was welcoming of one another,” she said. “I liked how small it was, because it made me feel like I would be taken care of and understood by people around me rather than just a number. I’m excited about meeting new friends and becoming active in this community.”

Anne Cornelius

Anne Cornelius grew up in Yangon, Myanmar, and graduated from Thalun International School in 2021 in the midst of a pandemic and political unrest.

She is still considering different career paths, but with the same goal. “I’ve chosen international business as a major for the time being, solely to fulfill my purpose of returning back home and participating in the mending of the Burmese economy,” Cornelius said.

In high school, Cornelius was a part of the Student Council, Art Club, Community Service, and Trash Hero. She received the Best Data Analysis and Best Presentation awards during the Learning Across Borders programs, which involve competing for environmental science projects in different countries. 

Cornelius also participated in various advocacy activities, such as GM4MD and USACM, and worked as a reporter for a news company. She also volunteered as a teacher and translator at multiple churches and events. These experiences highlight the importance of community and genuinity, she said. “I truly learned to treasure the community I had that showed me genuine kindness and peace.”

When she visited, Cornelius realized how much 91����Ƶ’s values aligned with her own. “The community was very welcoming and supportive. As someone who recently graduated with seven other students in my class, 91����Ƶ’s small classroom sizes and the student to teacher ratio were the reasons why I chose to become a Royal.”

Maria Longenecker

When Maria Longenecker came to 91����Ƶ for a visit last winter, she attended a trivia night and went to an Ultimate Frisbee event. The sense of community she experienced drew her to 91����Ƶ. “Even from that short weekend, I could sense that 91����Ƶ was a place where people cared deeply about each other and also could have a lot of fun together,” she said.

She is a biology major, with plans for a career in education or the medical field. 

Longenecker is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and attended JP McCaskey High School. She earned the International Baccalaureate, bilingual (Spanish-English) diploma, McCaskey’s 2022 Shawn W. Wampler Award, and membership in National Honors Society. 

Longenecker was on the student council, superintendent’s cabinet, and pole vaulted and ran for the track team. She also helped out in an elementary music classroom. 

“I love music and participated in multiple choirs, the theater department, and marching band,” she said. “The music department was a great source of community and friendship throughout high school.”

She was active with Blossom Hill Mennonite Church and also worked at the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe and Stroopie Co. for 3.5 years. “I loved getting to know the ‘regulars’ on a more personal level,” Longenecker said. “Since I worked there for so long, I would get to know a few customers really well and it was fun following along with their stories through all of the ups and downs.” 

Arelys Martinez Fabian

Arelys Martinez Fabian is majoring in education and Spanish with the hopes of becoming a teacher.

“I started school with very basic level English and it was very difficult trying to learn and become adapted to the new culture,” she said. “I would love to be able to help other students who experience that same feeling, the way my amazing teachers helped me.”

Hailing from Winchester, Virginia, Martinez Fabian graduated from Millbrook High School, where she was senior president of Interact Club and a SCA representative for her class. Additionally, she was class vice president of the Spanish Club. She was also a member of FCCLA and Multicultural Club. 

“I met some of my best friends there and it taught me so much about being proud of who I am and my culture,” she said.

Martinez Fabian also won best poster for FCCLA at the state level, earned a bilingual certification, was the Student of the Year for Teachers for Tomorrow in recognition for her volunteer work she completed).

During high school, Martinez Fabian worked at Cracker Barrel and Target, but her most influential job was at a daycare as a teacher’s assistant. “My choice to be a teacher was solidified there because I loved working with the students,” she said. “It taught me a lot about how different children are from each other, for example, their learning styles or creativity. My time at the daycare taught me more about patience and understanding.”

The decision to come to 91����Ƶ came down to the close and welcoming community for Martinez Fabian. “I am super excited about getting to learn about new perspectives and experience a completely different environment,” she said.