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Eight Graduate From McCann Practical Nursing Program

Susan Watson is retiring after six years leading the program. See more photos from Monday's ceremony here.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Monday night was bittersweet for the McCann Technical School community with the celebration of the latest class of nursing graduates also saying goodbye to the woman who has led the program for six years.

"Throughout the year, all of you have reaffirmed why I love teaching, and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your enthusiasm and have many memorable moments," Watson said. "On the first day of class, I called you all novices. Today, I can proudly call you nurses, and I will truly miss this class."

She went on to say she is proud of her students for letting McCann "lead the dance."

"I said to all of you that if you want to be a nurse then let McCann lead the dance and you stuck with it. You followed our lead and you stayed in step," she said. "Tonight, all eight of you have completed your education journey and you have a wonderful future in health care."

Nursing Advisory Council member Billie Allard, who had been chief nursing officer at the former North Adams Regional Hospital, also congratulated the students and wished Watson a farewell.

"It has been inspiring to watch her dedication, her caring, her compassion and her ability to rise above whatever challenge was in front of her," Allard said. "Sue has been a star here and everywhere she has ever been and I really want you to revel in the success of your career and think about all of the lives that you have touched."

Superintendent James Brosnan said Watson was critical in keeping the program running smoothly when the North Adams Regional Hospital closed four years ago.

He also congratulated the students for all their hard work.

"The individuals to my right have worked harder than any other eight individuals not only in Berkshire County but in the entire Commonwealth in a very condensed and very rigorous program to become in a few minutes practical nurses," he said.

Before handing out awards clinical instructor Diane O'Neil asked the graduates to remember the "personal touches" they have developed and to remember where they came from.

She asked them to continue to follow their dreams.

"Becoming a nurse is now a reality for all of you. You have been held to the highest standards in your field and you have made it," she said. "Continue with your goals and ambitions and please follow your dreams … I can’t be prouder of where you are and I can now call you my colleges … but now that you have made it, the words 'never' and 'I can't' have officially been removed from your vocabulary."

Nicole Bak of Cheshire, Cara Moulton of North Adams, Tim Badu of Pittsfield, and Brianna Hayden of Savoy each received the Faye Ellen Fosser Memorial Scholarship.

The Fosser Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of Fosser who graduated from the LPN program, went on to earn her registered nursing degree, and worked as a nurse locally. Fosser died in 1984, at the age of 29.

Badu and Hayden also received the Highest Academic Award and Bak received the Perfect Attendance Award.

Rebecca Adams, of Williamstown, also received the Perfect Attendance Award as well as the Clinical Excellence Award.

Tammie DeWeever of Springfield, Brookelynne Ruopp of Pittsfield, Khadeejah Hassan of Pittsfield also graduated.

Healey, Driscoll Talk Transportation Funding, Municipal Empowerment

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:56PM / Friday, January 24, 2025

The governor talks about a transportation bond bill filed Friday and its benefits for cities and towns.

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll were greeted with applause by municipal leaders on Friday as they touted $8 billion in transportation funding over the next decade and an additional $100 million in Chapter 90 road funds. 

 

Those were just a few of the initiatives to aid cities and towns, they said, and were based what they were hearing from local government

 

"We also proposed what, $2 1/2 billion the other day in higher education through investment in campuses across 29 communities statewide," the governor said. 

 

"Really excited about that and with those projects, by the way, as you're talking to people, you can remind them that that's 140,000 construction jobs in your communities."

 

The governor and Driscoll were speaking to the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association's conference. Branded as Connect 351, the gathering of appointed and elected municipal leaders heard from speakers, spoke with vendors in the trade show, attended workshops and held their annual business meeting this year at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

 

Healey and Driscoll followed a keynote address by Suneel Gupta, author, entrepreneur and host of television series "Business Class," on reducing stress and boosting energy, and welcomes from MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine, outgoing MMA President and Waltham councilor John McLaughlin, and from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu via her chief of staff Tiffany Chu.

 

"We know that local communities are really the foundation of civic life, of democracy. We invented that here in Massachusetts, many, many years ago, and that continues to this day," said Healey. "It's something that we're proud of. We respect, and as state leaders, we respect the prerogative, the leadership, the economy, the responsibility of our local governments and those who lead them, so you'll always have champions in us."