The Nursing Program at Gateway Community College (GCC) held the Class of 2017 Pinning Ceremony May 16 at 5 p.m. at the College Street Music Hall. The evening ceremony marked the transition from student to professional for 93 graduates.

 Since its inception in 2002, GCC’s Nursing Program has quadrupled in size, producing more than 700 graduates. The program features award-winning faculty and has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, an organization nationally recognized as a specialized accrediting agency for both post-secondary and higher degree programs in nursing education. It also is the first program of its kind in the State Community College System to offer courses and clinical rotations in the evening, making nursing a career option for working students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to pursue it.

The following students are in the Nursing Class of 2017: 

• Ansonia: Tammy Piccolo and Katarzyna Sowa 
• Branford: Mickell Balonze, Monica Donato, Louis Guerrera, Jr., Lisa Hackley, Mukunda Sharma and Maria Torelli 
• Bridgeport: Debbie Falcon, Maria Jules, Valerie Lee and Gregory McFarlane 
• Bristol: Jaree Douglas 
• Cheshire: Christopher Adams, Michele Matthews and Elizabeth Spataj 
• East Haven: Lucia Bergeron, Marcella Ferraro, Jennifer Hill, Amanda Martino, Jennifer Morale, Karissa Nott, Tiffany Scribner, Sara Tamayo and Kaitlin Vanacore 
• Groton: Berna Sahin 
• Guilford: Stefanie Bonaldo and Molly Louis 
• Hamden: Nicole Bowers, Leslie Collins, Nezha Elomari, Abigail Mahson, Maria Medina, Magdalena Rosado and Kareen Waller 
• Higganum: Lena Lewis 
• Manchester: Vannah Voccola 
• Meriden: Joshua Apuzzo, Kathia Ponce, Juan Reyes and Tom Rodriguez 
• New Britain: Elizabeth Almodovar 
• New Haven: Juliet Angme, Raina Barber, Robert Blocker, Kathryn Cupo, Sonya Daniels-Brevard, Jose Del Carpio, Michael Flanagan, Dominique Greenlee, Magdalena Guerrero, David Martin, Melissa Monaco, Angel Nieves-Santiago, Michelle Peterson, Andrew Rae, Ariene Roberts, Kimberly Rodriguez, Jessica DeLucia, Tiffany Vazquez, Anja Vujinic and Rovella Hodge-Weeks 
• North Branford: Patrizia Lorenti 
• North Haven: Jacquelyn Adinolfi, Guru Bhuti, June D’Errico, Margaret Kungu and George Ramos 
• Norwalk: Jermesha Motton 
• Oakville: David Torres, Jr. 
• Seymour: Jennifer Chaverri 
• Shelton: Nancy Borges and Magdalena Sciupider 
• South Meriden: Michael Raffles 
• Stratford: Nikkie Marie Bacarro and Aida Crespo 
• Wallingford: Jason Carbone, Renee dela Chevrotiere, Lydia Jandreau and Tyler Withycombe 
• West Haven: Elizabeth Sam, Jennifer Eagley, Jeanie Giaquinto, Sharline Greenwood, Mia Kendall, Stefanie Lopez-Hernandez, Henrietta Odame, Nandy Persaud, Jessica Puccio and Tatiana Velasquez