With roaring crowds of family, friends and peers, and with all of the pomp and circumstance befitting a celebration so significant in the lives of graduates, the Class of 2019 Commencement Ceremonies marked the start of a new chapter for 697 new Roseman University alumni.
Graduates from the South Jordan Campus celebrated their commencement on Friday, May 17 at the Salt Lake Community College Lifetime Activities Center Arena. Degrees were conferred upon 161 graduates with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 84 with the Doctor of Pharmacy and 14 with the Master of Business Administration. A total of 82 Doctor of Dental Medicine graduates received their degrees in April at a separate ceremony.
The Henderson Campus celebrated commencement in the evening on the following day, Saturday, May 18 at the Henderson Pavilion. An enthusiastic crowd of supporters packed the venue to witness degrees conferred upon 214 graduates with the Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing, 146 with the Doctor of Pharmacy and 18 with the Master of Business Administration. Ten residents of the Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics/MBA residency program will celebrate the completion of their program later this month.
This year, Annette Logan-Parker, co-founder, president and CEO of Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and Roseman University board member, served as keynote speaker at both commencement ceremonies. In her speech, Ms. Logan-Parker encouraged graduates to fight cynicism and to be part of the solution in the ever-evolving healthcare delivery system. She reminded graduates that they will face real life experiences that will challenge them and everything they know, saying, “Remember always, your patients will be your very best teachers, but only if you let them teach you.”
Ms. Logan-Parker also asked graduates to not only focus on the beginning of their professional journeys, but also the end. “Write down your goals and revisit them,” she said. “Take time to reflect on these goals every year, and see how they might change as you grow. Save your notes. At the end of your journey, make sure you come back to them.”
Finally, Ms. Logan-Parker encouraged graduates to practice self-care, saying “You cannot help others if you are burned out, angry and exhausted. Finding time in every day to practice what makes you happy is important.” From meditation, walking their dog, spending time with family, Ms. Logan-Parker said even small self-care steps have enormous power to create balance, provide energy and context, and nurture souls.
Class of 2019 student speakers, Dr. April Evans of the College of Pharmacy, South Jordan campus and Dr. Clara Pham of the College of Pharmacy, Henderson campus, both thanked family, friends, faculty and peers, reflected on their experiences at Roseman University and offered words of encouragement to their fellow alumni as they enter their chosen professions.
Dr. Evans said, “As we leave here today, let’s not forget the long hours of studying, or the stresses of exam week. Let’s use those experiences as a catalyst to serve the communities in which we live; care for the sick and afflicted; relieve physical and emotional suffering; advocate for change; and maintain the standards of our profession.”
Dr. Pham also offered words of encouragement, saying “As we say goodbye to Roseman and set out into the universe, I would like to say to you, continue to inspire. Be it in the clinical, community, or industry setting, or wherever else it may be that you go, we all now have the tools to make an impact in the world around us. We now share the responsibility of putting the good of the patient above all else.”
For many, Roseman University commencement marked not only the end of a journey, but also the start of ongoing education. Dozens of College of Pharmacy graduates will enter residency programs at healthcare facilities in Nevada, Utah and across the country. Many nursing students will continue on to earn their master’s degree and beyond.
As with their predecessors, Roseman University President Dr. Renee Coffman ended the ceremony encouraging graduates to stay connected with the University so their future academic and professional successes can be celebrated and shared to inspire future students and graduates.
Author
Jason Roth
Vice President, Communications
Roseman University of Health Sciences