With help from nursing alums Paul Schoener and Mary Anne (Manzano) Porcerelli, alumni from the School of Nursing class of 1984 celebrated their 25-year reunion – their first since graduating more than two decades ago.
Nearly 30 guests, a combination of alumni and spouses, gathered at Rochester Mills Brewery in downtown Rochester to share stories and memories about their days in nursing school. They lamented on the misery of creating patient care plans and the difficulty of the coursework. They also reminisced about “challenging” faculty like Professors Jackson and Moore. They remembered the late study nights followed by early morning clinicals. Many laughed about the “big” they sported in the class composite from 1984.
While they felt well prepared for their careers in nursing after earning their BSN from Oakland, alums shared concerns about the current economic times and realized that regardless of health system or career path, they all feel similar strains and pressures. Many expressed the sentiment that nursing is a vocation, not an occupation, and a conviction that they would not change their career choice for anything. The group was enthusiastic about the gathering and looks forward to meeting again in five years for their 30th reunion.
Donations in the amount of $650 were made by the class to create a special reunion year student scholarship. This award will be made to a nursing student in the winter semester with further details to be outlined.
If you are a member of the class of 1984 and would like to contribute to the reunion scholarship, or if you would like to organize a five, 10- or 25-year reunion for your graduating class, please contact Colette O’Connor, director of development, at (248) 370-4070.