Page 24 - BusinessWest May 12, 2025

MONTHLY FEATURE
www.HealthCareNews.com
Community Foundation of
Western Massachusetts President
and CEO Megan Burke
Crossing the Finish Line
Western Mass Completes Helps Nurses Graduate, Start Careers
BY JOSEPH BEDNAR
[email protected]
average college graduation rates are 60% at four-
A few years ago, faced with a daunting statistic — that
year institutions and 25% at two-year institutions
— the Community Foundation of Western Massa-
chusetts commissioned a study on factors that con-
tribute to higher-education persistence.
From that effort emerged a program called Western Mass
Completes, which recently supported 50 nursing and health-
sciences students from 10 of the region’s colleges and univer-
sities, all of them identified by their schools as possibly being
at risk of not finishing their degrees, for a variety of reasons.
The result? Forty-nine of them graduated on time and
passed their certification exam, and most have secured
employment in their field. The 50th simply missed a class and
had to add an extra semester, but is expected to join the list of
success stories.
That’s a remarkable result, but what may be even more
impressive is the level of financial support involved: just
$2,500 per student, to help pay for a range of expenses, from
equipment to transportation to exam fees.
“From all these students who potentially were at risk of not
completing, to have that much of a completion rate is really
important,” said Megan Burke, president and CEO of the
Community Foundation. “And because there was a preference
for commuter students, these are now qualified nurses who
are in our communities and are part of the local workforce.
And most of them, as of this past winter, were employed —
which isn’t surprising because we know there’s a great need
for nurses.”
Based on the research of Becky Packard, a Community
Foundation trustee and professor of Psychology and Educa-
tion at Mount Holyoke College, who spearheaded the initial
research, Western Mass Completes was developed with the
understanding that it’s not enough to help students enter col-
lege — the bigger priority, for them and the region, is to see
them cross the finish line.
Ten local colleges and universities joined the endeavor
— UMass Amherst, Westfield State University, Bay Path Uni-
versity, Springfield College, American International College,
Elms College, and Western New England University, as well
as Greenfield, Holyoke, and Springfield Technical community
colleges.
The research showed that students often need more time
and more resources to complete degrees; many are working
full-time while in school and taking a reduced course load,
while others are balancing school, work, and family responsi-
bilities. Those financial roadblocks create barriers to comple-
tion, especially for high-need, first-generation students.
Denise Hurst, vice president for Community Impact and
Partnerships at the Community Foundation, noted that West-
“It’s important
to lift up the
fact that there’s
regional economic
impact — that
these folks
are gainfully
employed, making
livable wages,
and contributing
to their local
communities,
which are very
likely in the three
counties that we
serve.”
24
MAY 12, 2025
MONTHLY FEATURE Business W est