For Connie Irwin, Shakila Ardestani, and Susan Hwang, celebrating their five-year anniversary as alumni of Bloomberg Nursing’s BScN degree program feels surreal.
Part of the first cohort to graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic, the BScN Class of 2020 entered a vastly changed health care system as new nurses. Now, they have journeyed back to campus to celebrate this milestone as part of U of T’s Alumni Reunion and reflected on how far they have come as nurses and individuals in that time.
“It is exciting and mind-blowing to think that it has been five years, it truly feels like yesterday,” says Shakila Ardestani. “Throughout this time, I’ve come to appreciate the nursing profession more than ever and have a newfound love and respect for all that nurses do.”
For Ardestani, being a part of the accelerated two-year BScN degree program at Bloomberg Nursing provided a different level of friendship, one that was built on a foundation of shared experiences and challenges. It is an experience that she says has changed how she views events like U of T Reunion.
“To me, having a graduation anniversary is not just something to mark on a calendar. There is a different level of attachment and emotion to reaching this milestone, and that is something I will continue to cherish,” says Ardestani.
Marking this milestone also resonates with Connie Irwin who describes reunion as a chance to not only connect with fellow alumni but also explore exciting shifts in the nursing profession as part of a collective experience.
“Even as a student I could see how connected alumni were to the Faculty, and I was fortunate to benefit from alumni who were mentors to me and were an invaluable source of learning and support,” says Irwin. “Reunion is a chance for me to also see what other paths my cohort has taken in nursing because each of our journeys since graduation has been so different.”
For Irwin, graduating into a changed healthcare landscape provided her with an opportunity to move towards pediatric nursing, an area of clinical care that she had not previously considered. In her current role as neonatal ICU nurse, Irwin is thankful she has found a profession she is passionate about.
“We graduated into such uncertainty but I’m grateful for the incredible experience I have had,” says Irwin. “What is exciting about reunions, is the opportunity it provides us to reflect on where we have been and were we are going as a profession and as a cohort.”
For Susan Hwang, the pandemic also shifted her career plans and like Irwin she took the challenges presented and made them her own.
Two years after graduating as a nurse, Hwang began working as a quarantine officer for the federal government as part of the country’s efforts to handle infection prevention control at the borders.
“This was a space in nursing I had never before considered, and it exposed me to so many different things, including the legal side of health care,” says Hwang.
In recent years Hwang has taken up a role as a travel nurse for Indigenous communities. During the pandemic, she worked in immunization clinics and now also provides primary care.
“It’s a very different kind of nursing, but the people I interact with make it so rewarding. I get to use the different tools and theories I learned about at Bloomberg Nursing to engage my full scope of practice in this setting, and I’m grateful for the opportunities this role has given me,” says Hwang.
Being a part of U of T Alumni Reunion and remembering the long hours spent in the Nursing Lounge studying, or the tight-knit friendships formed through their experiences in clinical groups is a highlight for Hwang.
“I see myself attending future reunion events, and staying connected with cohort. This will always be a part of our shared history,” says Hwang.
Your Bloomberg story doesn’t end at graduation. We’d love to hear how you’ve grown, where you’ve landed, and what connections you’re making along the way. Stay engaged with us by updating your contact information, share your story, and explore ways to get involved by contacting the Office of Advancement at alumni.nursing@utoronto.ca.