BCC Holds Pinning Ceremony for Nursing Graduates

08:00AM / Friday, January 24, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) held a traditional pinning ceremony for 40 graduates of the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Robert Boland Theatre on the main campus.

The wearing of the school pin symbolizes the right to serve others, signifying the acceptance of the responsibilities of the practice of nursing and the educational preparation of the wearer. The ceremony is a nursing school tradition dating to the turn of the twentieth century. The gold center of the pin features the college seal, including the words "To travel hopefully."

Five graduates received awards:

Marcia Bailey received the Academic Excellence in Nursing Award, which is presented to the student who has the highest GPA within the ADN program and is given in acknowledgment of academic excellence in nursing. This award recognizes the student’s hard work and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of nursing knowledge.

MacKenzie Muzzulin received the Clinical Excellence in Nursing Award, which is presented to a student who performs exemplary delivery of nursing skills in the clinical setting. This award recognizes the role of advocacy in nursing by promoting compassionate and holistic patient-centered care.

Cortney Provenzano received the Professionalism in Nursing Award, which is presented to a student who is committed to high quality patient care, and who also serves as a role model for teamwork and collaboration. The award recognizes the importance of communication and critical thinking while promoting the positive image of nursing.

Danna Toledo received the Berkshire Healthcare Systems Spirit of Caring Award, which is given to a graduating Associate Degree in Nursing student who best exemplifies the spirit of compassion. The recipient of this award is committed to clinical and service excellence, optimizes each patient interaction to its full potential, and shows caring and concern for patients and their families.

Nodia Wright received the Bette B. Everson Memorial Nursing Award, which is given to the graduating Associate Degree in Nursing student who best exemplifies the personal characteristics of commitment, perseverance and professional growth.

The ceremony honored the following Class of 2024 graduates:

Connecticut

Bloomfield: Symanther Grey

Canaan: Marcos Irausquin

Granby: Alysha Yard

Norfolk: MacKenzie Muzzulin

Suffield: Kristin Graeff

Massachusetts

Adams: Corrisa Regan

Cheshire: Colleen McKearney

Chicopee: Edwin Juma

Clarksburg: Marcia Bailey, Aurie Delano, Carissa Hartman

Dalton: Katie Higgins

Great Barrington: Elizabeth Pevzner

Hancock: Emily Condry

Lanesboro: Tonya Burns, Jordan Rosier

Lee: Alexandra Barnes, Alyssa Barnes, Michele Belliveau, Jennifer Donovan, Christina Tighe

Lowell: Elizabeth Nazaire

Pittsfield: Jaklyn Barbarotta, Bernice Cobbinah, Jocelyn Cote, Emily Greb, Rain Hajjar, Raisa Kachevsky, Elizabeth Kwaw, Madison Lamoureaux, Norah Moindi, Jennifer Phelps, Cortney Provenzano, Danna Toledo

Shrewsbury: Stefan Stidsen

Springfield: Auris Encarnacion, Frank Rogers, Nodia Wright

West Springfield: Yuko Tasato

Westfield: Leighan Toomey

Tags: BCC,

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Berkshire Museum Explores Ancient Egypt With ‘Soulful Creatures’

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
11:33AM / Friday, October 09, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following its multimillion-dollar renovation, the Berkshire Museum is welcoming an exhibition unlike any it has been able to host before.

Marking the museum's first major exhibition since its renovation, "Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt," opening Saturday, Oct. 10, thins the veil between the ever-evolving history of Egyptian culture and society and modern day people.

"The most important thing about history is recognizing people from the past as actual people. Ancient Egyptians are no different than us," said William Dore, the museum's chief curator. "They have different cultures and beliefs and different viewpoints, but you can say the same thing about people today."

When audiences experience the exhibit, they will see the humanity in the people of the past, which in turn helps them connect with different views and perspectives around the world today, he said.

Combining archeology with modern scientific imaging, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Museum curators Yekaterina Barbash and Edward Bleiberg designed an exhibit that works to uncover the mysteries behind these objects and the beliefs and rituals that surround them.

"I think something that people kind of misunderstand about history is none of it's ever settled. ... History is a science that is constantly questioned,” Dore said. "It only works if everyone's constantly rethinking things, learning new things ... which is for me super exciting because as much as we know a lot about the ancient Egyptians, there's a lot we don't know.”

The installation features dozens of artifacts on loan from the Brooklyn Museum that explores the practice of animal mummification and the role animals played in ancient Egyptian religion.

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