This Father-Daughter Duo Shared a Passion for Nursing. Now They Share an Alma Mater.
Commencement is a milestone moment for students. It can be an even greater moment for a graduate鈥檚 proud parents.
For father-daughter duo Gary and Stephanie Pollino, this year鈥檚 commencement holds special significance, as they will both receive Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees at a mini ceremony on campus.
It doesn鈥檛 happen too often where the parent and child get to graduate and walk together. That鈥檚 been an exciting highlight of life. 鈥擥ary Pollino '21
The Plainview, New York residents both came to find Widener鈥檚 nationally-ranked program to launch and advance their careers. Stephanie was the first to enroll after being drawn to the program for its small class size and state-of-the-art simulation center.
鈥淎s soon as we got to campus and took a tour, we really fell in love with Widener,鈥 said Gary.
Stephanie, who hopes to go into pediatrics medicine, credits her dad鈥檚 career in health care as her inspiration to become a nurse.
I would say my dad is 90 percent of the reason I went into nursing. 鈥擲tephanie Pollino '21
With nearly two decades of experience, Gary has worked across a number of health care roles from provider to administrator. After working as a paramedic in New York City he made the decision to earn a nursing degree and went into emergency medicine.
About two years ago, he began seeking a bachelors program to fit his busy schedule and career goals. Stephanie鈥檚 success and growth in the program put the school鈥檚 RN-to-BSN online program at the top of the list.
鈥淚 decided to make the jump to a BSN and when I started to look at programs I looked into Widener and saw that they had an online two year RN-to-BSN program. It seemed to be a no-brainer to start the program,鈥 said Gary.
He said the qualities that attracted him to the program as a parent, such as the small class size and supportive faculty, also appealed to him in a student capacity.
鈥淭he support that Widener offered was really pro-student,鈥 Gary added.
That support extended to Stephanie as well. Like many of her classmates, COVID-19 significantly impacted the second half of Stephanie鈥檚 academic career. Though the changes in course delivery and clinical experiences weren鈥檛 anticipated, the outcomes brought transformational learning opportunities.
Earlier this year she participated in the COVID-19 vaccination program at Crozer Health鈥檚 Delaware County Memorial Hospital as part of her clinical requirement. She embraced the opportunity to join the fight against COVID-19.
鈥淭hat was probably my favorite clinical experience because we got hands-on experience and I felt like I was a part of nursing and making a difference,鈥 said Stephanie.
As commencement approaches, Stephanie is more than ready to step into the role of care provider alongside her biggest fan and inspiration: her dad.
鈥淚鈥檓 really close with my dad so the fact that my dad was a big part of why I went into nursing, it鈥檚 funny 鈥 in the best way possible 鈥 that I get to share this with him,鈥 said Stephanie.
