(Reynoldsville, PA) A two-year Butler County Community College registered nursing program instituted at BC3 @ Brockway in 2018 to address a regional high-priority occupation has now graduated 90 students since 2020.

BC3 @ Brockway’s Class of 2025 in Nursing, R.N., is its second largest with 18 graduates.

Graduates from Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties received pins May 12 in Reynoldsville during a ceremony that recognized their completion of the 70-credit selective-admissions program. Tiffany Logan, of Brockport, received the clinical nurse award, which acknowledges a graduate’s exceptional clinical skills, compassionate care, and unwavering dedication to patients and to the nursing profession.

Registered nurse is a high-priority occupation in BC3 @ Brockway’s service area of Clarion, Clearfield, Elk and Jefferson counties, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry.

“Typically,” said Pam Streich, “registered nurse our No. 1 in-demand job.”

Streich is executive director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Pennsylvania, which represents industries in Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties.

“It is crucial that we have programs like BC3 @ Brockway’s,” Streich said, “so we can keep our people living and working in north central Pennsylvania.”

"... the BC3 @ Brockway program is helping all of us. They're training people who live in our region and who want to stay in our region." 

- Pamela Streich, executive director, Workforce Solutions for North Central Pennsylvania

Students in BC3 @ Brockway’s associate degree career programs such as Nursing, R.N., can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

Fifteen graduates in BC3 @ Brockway’s Class of 2025 have accepted positions in critical care, emergency, medical-surgery, obstetrics psychiatry or other units in health care facilities in Clarion, Clearfield, Jefferson or Warren counties.

“Many of our partners in the region are concerned about losing our people to jobs outside the region,” Streich said. “And so the BC3 @ Brockway program is helping all of us. They’re training people who live in our region and who want to stay in our region.”

High-priority occupations are those that are in demand by employers, have evolving skill needs and are likely to provide family-sustaining wages, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry.

BC3 @ Brockway Class of 2025 graduates reported job offers of up to $33.75 per hour with contractual signing bonuses reaching $30,000.

"The program emphasized hands-on experience through clinical rotations and simulation labs." 

- Katie Dase, BC3 @ Brockway Class of 2025 registered nursing graduate

Faculty members “are wonderful”

Their curriculum required simulated training with BC3 @ Brockway’s state-of-the-art computerized adult and pediatric manikins and approximately 600 hours of clinical training at Penn Highlands Healthcare facilities, said Brittany Guadagno, BC3 @ Brockway’s nursing program director.

“The program,” said BC3 @ Brockway Class of 2025 graduate Katie Dase, of Kane, “emphasized hands-on experience through clinical rotations and simulation labs. This helped me apply classroom learning to real-world situations, build confidence and develop critical thinking and communication skills, which are essential for great nursing practice.”

Faculty members in BC3 @ Brockway’s program “are wonderful,” said Lexie Holeva, of Anita. “They are well-experienced professionals who use their background to shape and prepare us for real-life situations we’ll face as registered nurses.”

"We are extremely happy to partner with BC3 @ Brockway. BC3 @ Brockway does a very good job of selecting its applicants and getting solid students who want to do a good job." 

- Heather Franci, chief nursing officer, Penn Highlands Healthcare

Penn Highlands, Varischettis and BC3 aid students

Penn Highlands Healthcare, DuBois, sponsored the tuition of 11 of BC3 @ Brockway’s 18 graduates in the Class of 2025.

Penn Highlands established a partnership with BC3 @ Brockway in which it sponsors the tuition of eligible students in exchange for their signing an employment contract to work for the health care provider following graduation.

The first students to accept the sponsorship graduated in BC3 @ Brockway’s Class of 2023. They are among 30 graduates since to participate in Penn Highlands’ program.

“We are extremely happy to partner with BC3 @ Brockway,” said Heather Franci, chief nursing officer, Penn Highlands Healthcare. “BC3 @ Brockway does a very good job of selecting its applicants and getting solid students who want to do a good job.

“Students do their clinical rotations in our facilities, so when they come on board as a registered nurse, they’ve already been introduced to Penn Highlands, which makes their orienting process much easier on them. They’re comfortable with our staff and our patients.”

Graduates “ready to go on the floor”

Julia Carney is the dean of BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health.

“Our nurses are prepared nurses and they are professional nurses,” Carney said. “They’re ready to go on the floor, they have critical thinking skills. Employers really like the professionalism that our nurses bring.”

Students who attend BC3 @ Brockway are eligible for the Varischetti Family Scholarship through the BC3 Education Foundation for five semesters.

Four graduates in BC3 @ Brockway’s Class of 2025 in registered nursing received a Varischetti Family Scholarship in the past year, said Dr. Jill Martin-Rend, director of BC3 @ Brockway. Four received separate scholarships from the BC3 Education Foundation, said Bobbi Jo Cornetti, development director of the foundation.

96% of Class of 2024 passed state boards

BC3 @ Brockway’s Class of 2025 must now take the post-graduation National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Ninety-six percent of BC3 @ Brockway’s first-time NCLEX-RN test-takers in 2024 were successful, Guadagno said.

“From day one of the program, faculty members placed a strong emphasis on the NCLEX, with all our exams being NCLEX-styled questions,” Holeva said. “They constantly challenged us to think critically, in lecture, lab and clinical. With all these factors combined, I have no doubt we’ll all be successful registered nurses.”

Graduates in BC3 @ Brockway’s Class of 2025 in registered nursing are, from Clarion County, Kelly Forell, Lucinda; and from Clearfield County, Michael Dillree, DuBois; Bethany Hoover, Clearfield; and Nicole Witherite, Grampian.

Graduates from Elk County are Cara Shrubb, Weedville; and Amanda Stager, St. Marys. They join Logan; and Delhunty, Ridgway.

Graduates from Jefferson County are Mattisen Drake, Markelle Prueter, Katheren Simpson and Warren, Brookville; Holly Fulcher and Gabriella Spellen, Brockway; and Aimee Silva, Sigel. They join Holeva; and Stanford, Punxsutawney.

Dase is from Kane, McKean County.

Dase, Holeva, Logan, Shrubb and Warren graduated with honors.

BC3 @ Brockway was established in Jefferson County in 2013 to serve Pennsylvania counties underrepresented by higher education.

It also offers associate degree career programs in business management, health care science and office administration-executive. It offers associate degree transfer programs in business administration, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies, psychology and social work.

Prospective students can apply beginning Aug. 1 for consideration to be accepted in fall 2026 in BC3 @ Brockway’s Nursing, R.N., program.