No, it’s not to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. To these nursing students, this golden ticket is even better.
St. Joseph’s College selected their top 12 nursing juniors to attend Northwell Health’s 2018 Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase, held today. This invitation-only event marks Northwell Health’s 10th annual student nurse networking reception.
“The students have already demonstrated their dedication to the nursing profession,” Patricia Hedderson, coordinator and instructor for the four-year nursing program, said. “The Northwell Golden Ticket allows them a fantastic opportunity to explore the expansive world of nursing.”
Seven SJC Long Island and five SJC Brooklyn students received the special ticket for this prestigious event.
During the Nursing Showcase, held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, N.Y., students get to meet high-level administrators and interact with nurses and other staff at Northwell Health. This provides them the opportunity to establish connections that can be instrumental to their future careers. In turn, students might get invited to participate in Northwell Health’s highly competitive nurse externship program.
“I felt like all my hard work so far has paid off and that people are noticing how passionate I am about becoming a nurse,” Kasey Ryan of SJC Long Island said about receiving her golden ticket. “I am honored to be graduating in the first class of the BSN program from St. Josephs College.”
“At first, I was nervous about receiving a golden ticket,” said SJC Long Island junior Francis Antonawich. “But upon learning more about the opportunity, I felt not only excited for this chance but proud to be part of the first group selected. I hope to gain more knowledge from the event itself and potential opportunities that could come from it, and to make connections that could be beneficial after I graduate,” added Antonawich, who already holds a B.S. in Biology from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.
SJC Brooklyn nursing junior William Harris believes this golden ticket should act as a means to motivate other students.
“I’m honored to be one of the students to represent our institution and hope that Northwell’s active interest in scouting top performing students pushes both prospective and current students in the nursing program to work as hard as they can,” said the nursing extern for Huntington Hospital’s emergency department.
“I was so humbled and ecstatic to have received this golden ticket,” said Danielle Monteverde, captain of SJC Long Island’s dance team. “Since we are the inaugural class of this four-year program, it is an extreme honor to have been selected to represent our class at this event. I am very excited to see what is in store for this event and to show what I have to offer.”
SJC Brooklyn students who received golden tickets:
Marissa Barrow, William Harris, Sean Kelly, Haichatou Sall and Alondra Villanueva-Sanchez.
SJC Long Island students who received golden tickets:
Jordan Ahmed, Francis Antonawich, Claudia Bizzaro, Samantha Mann, Camila Martinez, Danielle Monteverde and Kasey Ryan.