Madison Youngman of Goshen, N.Y., a Nursing major, was the last graduate in the procession to the Mount’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18.
At the very end of a long line of Mount Saint Mary College graduates on Saturday, May 18 was Nursing major Madison Youngman of Goshen, N.Y.
About 450 degree recipients were honored at the 61st Annual Commencement ceremony, but Youngman, a familiar face on the Mount’s Dean’s List, didn’t mind being the final name called. She smiled, shook Mount Interim President Fr. Gregoire Fluet’s hand, and walked across the college’s Commencement stage triumphantly.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it!” she said. “Finally, I did it!”
The day before, Friday, May 17, the college honored nearly 80 graduates of its prestigious Nursing program at a pinning ceremony. As per tradition, the pins were presented to the graduates by chosen family members and friends. Thanks to alphabetical order, Youngman was again at the end of the procession and was the last one to be recognized. But that didn’t dampen her happiness as she received her pin from father, William, and her sister, Brooke.
“Thank you, Dad, for giving me strength throughout my college experience. Thank you, Brooke, my other half, for being there for me,” she wrote in the 2024 Nursing Pinning program.
Youngman noted that Lynette DeBellis, Nursing associate professor, chair of the School of Nursing, and Mount alumna, was one of her favorite Mount mentors.
“She was amazing,” Youngman noted. “She was always there to help, always wanted to know if we had questions, and she was so fast replying with her emails. She was very supportive the whole way for all of us.”
As she approached the Commencement ceremony, the cheers for the first of her fellow grads already audible, Youngman offered some advice for the next generation of Mount Nursing students who will begin their academic journey in August.
“Make a lot of friends – studying with them helped me a lot,” she said, adding, “Enjoy your time here. It goes fast!"