Mount Saint Mary College Nursing instructor Sidoney Mullings works with Newburgh Free Academy PALS students. NFA student Thalia Santiago (right) observes.
Mount Saint Mary College’s School of Nursing recently partnered with Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) West to mentor high school students interested in healthcare careers.
Last semester, NFA West students visited the Mount campus weekly. Mount student mentors in the college’s Nursing program assisted them in developing a project related to their healthcare area of interest. The NFA students attended classes, nursing simulation sessions, and met with key Mount faculty and staff on campus to learn about the college experience and the profession of nursing. The students also reviewed research and study skills related to their project. The culmination of the program was an exhibition of their internship projects at NFA West.
The program was a component of Peer Achievement Through Leadership and Scholarship (PALS), which is aimed at inspiring academic success in the students enrolled in NFA. Through workshops, nursing-related tutoring, visits to the Mount’s state-of-the-art nursing laboratories, and more, Mount mentors foster excellence in the next generation of students interested in careers in healthcare. By providing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be successful at the college level, the PALS program puts these NFA students on the fast track to success.
The program was overseen by Linda Kelly, assistant professor of Nursing at the Mount.
“I can say without a doubt that when the students are immersed in experiential learning, that is when they truly shine,” she noted.
Kelly added, “I also can’t say enough about our Mount mentors. These are amazing students. They are the key to what makes this program work.”
The recent Mount PALS mentors were Madison Burke of Kingston, N.Y.; Amanda Castillo of Glenham, N.Y.; Isabella Coley of Levittown, N.Y.; Thomas “TJ” Coyne of Staten Island, N.Y.; Taylor Ephraim of West Hempstead, N.Y.; Angelina Fernandez of Highland Mills, N.Y.; Shannon Franchi of East Northport, N.Y.; Stephanie Lozada of Rhinebeck, N.Y.; Abigail Solfaro of Berkeley Heights, N.J.; Cameryn Surdi of Sayville, N.Y.; and Grace Riddle of Wantagh, N.Y.
Kelly has been a nurse educator for more than a decade and has been a registered nurse for nearly 25 years. During her years in the clinical setting, she spent considerable time precepting and orienting new nurse graduates or new hires in practice settings.
The Mount’s service-focused approach to education goes hand-in-hand with helping professions such as Nursing. Mount nursing students enjoy cutting edge simulation labs and clinical relationships with dozens of area hospitals. The college’s passionate faculty are dedicated to the success of both their undergraduate and graduate students.