OLEAN, N.Y. — Sophia Ragonese wants to become a nurse practitioner. Mason Parks would like to earn a master's degree. Both enrolled in SUNY Jamestown Community College’s dual degree Nursing program with St. Bonaventure University three years ago as a way to more efficiently meet their goals.
Ragonese, of Rochester; Parks, of Friendship; and classmates Emma Mikolajczyk and Regina Tkacik, both of Portville, are set to become the first graduates of the JCC-SBU program this week. Each will earn their associate’s degree in Nursing during JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus commencement ceremony on Friday.
They are ready to start their careers as registered nurses upon passing the National Council Licensure Examination while finishing up their bachelor’s degrees at SBU in the next year.
“We are anxious to see the outcome of the graduating group,” said Heather Burrell, JCC’s Nursing program director, “The collaboration with SBU has been a good opportunity to enhance the number of nurses that we can put out into the community to aid in meeting that nursing needs.”
St. Bonaventure introduced an RN to B.S. Nursing program in 2019 in response to a New York state bill that requires registered nurses to earn a bachelor’s degree within 10 years of initial licensure. Its partnership with JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean began in fall 2021.
“Being able to be a registered nurse and quickly moving in to get my bachelor’s all at once,” Parks said, “was convenient.”
The program delivers streamlined and efficient experiences for students with varying aspirations, such as Ragonese.
“Before you can get accepted into nurse practitioner (programs), you need at least a year of experience in the hospital,” she said. “This year, I’ll be finishing up the bachelor’s portion, and I can still work and get that year of experience. Then, when I’m done with the bachelor’s, I can go straight back to school.”
Mikolajczyk added that having a BSN right away will give her a leg up on “jobs and different leadership positions.”
While still in its infancy, Burrell, said the program is growing with 15 anticipated to graduate with an associate's next year and 18 more in 2026 before finishing at SBU.
Students in the program take classes on both Olean-area campuses while residing at St. Bonaventure. They start with pre-requisite and general education courses at SBU. Years two and three are dedicated mostly to learning nursing skills at JCC, and they finish with a mix of SBU courses focused on emotional intelligence, interprofessionalism, leadership, and quality care.
“The final year of the program is hybrid, but it’s primarily online,” Ragonese said. “I’m going back to Rochester and work there while I’m finishing up that last year.”
Students wishing to join the program apply for admission to St. Bonaventure University first, and through their acceptance at SBU are guaranteed a seat in the JCC nursing program. Before being accepted, the four interviewed with a panel of faculty from SBU and JCC.
Ragonese said that she is applying for nurses’ jobs. The others are taking a wait-and-see approach.
“I think we’re all still figuring that out,” Tkacik said.
“Especially with our school schedules and things like that,” Mikolajczyk added. “We’re still trying to figure out how it’s really going to work.”
No matter what comes next and when, the soon-to-be Nursing graduates feel prepared for it.
“The faculty is absolutely amazing,” Ragonese said. “I learned so much from them. Being from Rochester, the hospitals are so big. I was kind of worried coming here doing clinicals at such a small, rural setting. But I honestly think that was a good thing. I think I was able to see a lot more and do a lot more hands-on things compared to if I was at a bigger hospital at home.”