ALUMNI UPDATE 2020
Mar y Kathr yn (Coster) Baruffi (’84) started her career at University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in the Operating Room. Baruffi married, moved to NJ and continued on that same path. She is currently working at two surgery centers in South Jersey. “I remember my time there fondly. I loved the smaller class size and I recall we bonded well as a class.”
Pam (Schofield) Guillaume (’85) went on to get her MSN from Catholic University. She works for Kaplan teaching the RN Review course to prepare students for the NCLEX Exam. “So many favorite memories from nursing school. The professors were all excellent. Loved our little nursing building next to the hospital. All of our classes were in the same classroom. The nursing lab was in the basement. Such a great program!”
Nancy Sheppard Stone (’85) retired from Pitt County Public Health in Greenville, NC in 2006, UNC Chapel Hill. Currently she is part-time adjunct faculty at Wilson Community College in Wilson, NC. “Long hours studying, clinicals and class that paid off. Plus the last day of classes/final exams at the lake (near Eagles Hall). Dr. Dake was livid and gave admonishments.”
Kathryn (Unrah) Verber (’84) is currently taking a break and last worked as a Pediatric Nurse Case Manager. She remembers climbing the hill to WinePrice for classes and labs and jumping in Newman Lake to celebrate the end of classes. “I think that was a very shortlived tradition!”
Deborah Brown (’97) works for Augusta Health Hospice of the Shenandoah. Her favorite professors were Dr. Huber and Sandy Hopper. “It was funny that when you started in nursing classes we were scared of Dr. Huber but then during the last year you felt like they were your colleagues. Dr. Huber was a very special lady and when she passed away JMU lost a good soul, strong nurse, and great lady.”
Shelby Kirillin (‘98) has worked for 21 years as a neuro-trauma ICU nurse at Shock Trauma in Baltimore, INOVA Fairfax, but for most of her career at VCU in Richmond. She is now a certified End of life Doula and an instructor for the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). “My favorite memories of nursing school are, by far, the camaraderie that we had as a class. I loved those women like sisters and wish I had done a better job at keeping in contact with them. My favorite professors were Judy Holt and Professor Hooper. They showed me what nurses are truly capable of and pushed me to be a better nurse.” Nikki Gage (’99) currently works at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Kidney Transplant Center in Richmond, VA. “While it was challenging, I loved it all, but mostly our clinical experiences! I enjoyed the excitement/anxiety of entering the hospital units and patient rooms – having to be there so early, preparing the night before, and finally being able to care for a patient. I appreciated the diverse clinical settings given to me – not only acute care, but home health, rehab, case management – all at different facilities. I have had some wonderful career opportunities as a JMU grad and have always appreciated my nursing education and how it allowed me to do what I love.” Tabitha Garrison (’00, ‘06M) has been a nurse practitioner since 2006. She worked in long-term health care, hospitalist, emergency medicine, urgent care and pain management. In December 2019, Garrison became an autonomous licensed nurse practitioner and in February 2020, she opened her own practice in Broadway, VA—Shenandoah Pain and Palliative Care Clinic. “The toughest classes, but most enjoyable I had in the BSN program were the pharmacology-pathophysiology classes. Professor Judy Holt made me think and told the greatest stories. Professor Mary Koogler I met on Friday of the first week of classes, and she is the only reason I didn’t give up after the first week because I felt so overwhelmed. She inspired me to keep going.”
2020
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