Stanbridge College Graduates 498 Nursing and Healthcare Students to Provide Care for Aging Population

    IRVINE, CA, September 10, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Stanbridge College is pleased to announce that 498 Vocational Nursing, Hemodialysis Technician, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Information Technology students were graduated as members the Class of 2015. The 2015 Commencement Exercises were held in the Bren Events Center, with over 3,500 people in attendance.

The ceremony opened with a presentation of the colors by 2nd Battalion 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and the National Anthem performed by Vocational Nursing (VN) 2014 graduate Ms. Cherish Nunnally. Alumni awards were presented to Stanbridge VN graduates Ms. Jane Germaine and Mr. Ismael Lopez. 2015 graduates Ms. Dashanique Harmon (Vocational Nursing), and Ms. Julia Song (Occupational Therapy Assistant) were presented with the Inspiration and Community Service awards. Award winners were selected from a nominated pool for their outstanding instances of leadership, commitment to excellence in their field, and service to the community.

In his remarks, Stanbridge College President, Mr. Yasith Weerasuriya, congratulated graduates on their remarkable achievements both inside the classroom and out, lauding the high level of community service they had provided, and the academic success that has prepared them to sit for their licensure exams. "Your work made a remarkable impact on the lives of those you served," Mr. Weerasuriya emphasized. "You were excellent students, and we loved having you for this chapter of your life! Congratulations on all your success."

Guest speaker Mr. Brad Formsma, author of I Like Giving, told graduates to lead lives that inspire kindness and generosity, and reminded them that giving something isn't necessarily reflected in a monetary amount. "I want to encourage us today to look at generosity from the perspective that we get to give. I want to encourage you to think about what does it look like to have a lifestyle of generosity."

According to Student Commencement Speaker and Occupational Therapy Assistant graduate Ms. Tiphanie Rodriguez, a unifying trait all Stanbridge graduates share is courage - the determination and bravery it takes to pursue higher academic achievements and work towards career goals. "All the time we spent in class, labs, and studying was time spent away from our loved ones. But we kept going because we knew this sacrifice would be worth it. Making those sacrifices took courage."

As the graduating class begins to prepare for licensure exams, the need for skilled healthcare providers continues to grow at an astounding rate. According to a study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020 the number of people over 55 years of age will total 97.8 million, or roughly 28 percent of the resident population. With that knowledge, the main focus of many hospitals, rehabilitation centers and assisted living facilities is preparing the next generation of skilled health workers - Nurses, Occupational Therapy Assistants, and Physical Therapist Assistants - to help aging patients.

To learn more about the programs at Stanbridge College and its degree programs, please visit http://www.stanbridge.edu.

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