Grove City College’s First Nursing Class to Earn Degrees

GROVE CITY, Pa. – Students in the first class of Grove City College’s Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing are expected to earn their associate nursing degrees from Butler County Community College in May.

The students received clinical and technical training through BC3’s two-year nursing program through a partnership between the schools. Under the program, students study nursing, liberal arts and sciences at Grove City College in their first and final years, with the Butler County Community College training in years two and three.

Upon graduation from Butler County, Emma Clark, Finnley Coglon, Sadie Kriebel, Sara Layton, Elizabeth Mackey, Abigail Montgomery and Emily Smyth can take the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses and work as they complete a bachelor’s degree at Grove City College.

Nick Neupauer, president of BC3, called the partnership a “dream.”

“Students can work as RNs after earning their credential at BC3, then pursue the last leg of their baccalaureate at such a storied institution such as Grove City College,” Neupauer said. “How perfect – especially with the need for nurses in our communities.”

Grove City College began its nursing program in 2019 through the Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing, which was established through a gift from Jayne Rathburn. The first class began in 2021.

“I am thrilled for our students, deeply appreciative of BC3’s excellence and cooperation, and especially thankful for Jayne Rathburn’s generous financial support of this initiative in honor of her parents,” said Paul J. McNulty, president of Grove City College.

“We knew going in that BC3’s nursing program was top-flight, and the past three years have clearly proven that to be true,” McNulty said. “This collaboration hits the sweet spot of GCC’s mission to equip our students to serve others with skill and determination.”

Pictured at top: Grove City College nursing students, front row from left, Abigail Montgomery, Finnley Coglon and Emma Clark; back row from left, Sara Layton, Emily Smyth, Sadie Kriebel and Elizabeth Mackey.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.