Meet Our Alumni: The Pomeroy College of Nursing Class of 2010

Where might the Pomeroy College of Nursing Class of 2025 find themselves in ten years? We’re putting the spotlight on two remarkable alumni from the Class of 2010 who may offer a glimpse into the possibilities that await future nurses.

Kyle Choquette is currently the Associate Director of Nursing for Throughput Operations at Upstate University Health, but he got his start as a student at the Pomeroy College of Nursing.

“The culture at [Pomeroy College of Nursing] was supportive, inclusive and allowed for innovation while having high expectations for each student,” Kyle says.

After graduating, Kyle worked on a neurology unit and worked his way from bedside nurse to nurse manager. In his current role at Upstate, Kyle assumes overall responsibility for the implementation of the vision, mission, plans and standards of the organization and patient care services within all areas of patient flow. This includes day to day oversight of the development, operations and staffing of the Throughput Operations Center and ongoing management, evaluation and assessment of system wide patient flow and throughput, clinical operations, customer and staff satisfaction, quality management, standards, certification and accreditation activities, professional practice activities, nursing staff education and developing community relationships.

Kyle says, “Within my role, it’s ever changing and new challenges present themselves daily,” but he is motivated to help people and improve the life of patients and the community.

He reflects fondly on his time at the college, saying the skills and knowledge he acquired set the foundation of his career. “I’ll never forget going into the OR for the delivery of a baby and experiencing new life.”

Andrew Wong, DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, is the Senior Director of Patient Care Services at North Shore University Hospital, part of the Northwell Health System, overseeing the education of over 1,500 nurses while still practicing as a critical care nurse practitioner. Since graduating from the Pomeroy College of Nursing in 2010 he’s been an emergency nurse, nurse educator, critical care nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner.

According to Andrew, his time at the college are among some of his fondest memories. He says: “Some of my favorite memories were the development of friendships with other Crouse students who continue to make huge impacts on our profession and their communities. They truly are like family.”

What he loved most about Crouse was the culture “The community inherent there. Whether it was the nurses on the floors or the instructors for clinical it truly seemed that everyone cared for one another and knew each other,” he says.

When it comes to advice for graduate nurses, both Kyle and Andrew agree that knowledge is power.

“Take in everything, like a sponge,” Andrew says, “In the words of (Pomeroy College of Nursing professor) Joanne Catanzarita: ‘Always know the why behind everything you do.’”

To learn more about the College of Nursing, visit crouse.org/nursing.

Laurie Clark is the Communications and Digital Media Manager at Crouse Health.