STCC nursing student joins the Springfield Colleen Court

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Bridget Mary Laviolette, a nursing student at Springfield Technical Community College, will represent her community and her Irish heritage serving as a member of the Springfield Colleen Court.

Laviolette, who expects to graduate with a nursing degree from STCC in May, said in an interview at STCC that she looks forward to riding on a float in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade on March 17. 

“I am Irish and the parade has always been a huge part of my life. My family would always go to it,” Laviolette said. “I’d see the Colleens go by on the float, and this was going to be my last year to (join the Colleen Court). I had been pushing it off because of school, but I decided it’s now or never.”

Laviolette just makes the age cut off of 22 to participate. She turns 23 in April.

She and other members of the Springfield Colleen Court attended the 2024 Colleen Coronation and Awards Presentation Ball on Feb. 10 at the Cedars Banquet Hall in Springfield. Laviolette was awarded the Mossie and Kathleen Murphy Scholarship. 

Over the next several weeks, she will be busy juggling her final semester of school work with her responsibilities as a member of the Court. She is committed to a different community event every weekend from February until the parade in March. She also works as a server at an East Longmeadow restaurant and as a nurse apprentice on the oncology floor at Baystate Medical Center.

STCC runs in the family for Laviolette. Her mother, Terry Laviolette, graduated from the STCC nursing program in 1999.

I love it. If you need anything, the professors are there in a heartbeat. Bridget Laviolette, STCC nursing student

“The professors are so supportive. I’ll tell that to anyone who asks me, ‘How is it over there?’” Bridget Laviolette said. “I love it. If you need anything, the professors are there in a heartbeat. It’s difficult and like a full-time job, but it’s worth it. And it’s affordable.”

Laviolette hopes to transfer to Westfield State University after she graduates to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). She plans to continue working at Baystate while working toward her degree.

Laviolette lives in East Longmeadow. Residents of Springfield, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow or Wilbraham are eligible to serve on the Colleen Court.

STCC Assistant Dean of School of Health and Patient Simulation Lisa Fugiel, who also serves as a director of nursing, said STCC is proud of Laviolette.

“Congratulations to Bridget for being selected to the Court,” Fugiel said. “We are excited that one of our students will be on the Court and joining in the parade. Community is one of our core values at STCC, and we are thrilled Bridget is participating in one of the area’s longest running traditions to honor the Irish community.”

There may be no better time to enroll in the STCC nursing program, Fugiel said. Under MassReconnect, Massachusetts nursing students, regardless of age, do not pay for tuition, fees or supplies. The state offers a community college financial aid scholarship, which offers funds sufficient to cover 100 percent of currently enrolled students for the year.

Use this link to learn more about the Community College Nursing Scholarship program in Massachusetts.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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