Belmont College Honors the Class of 2023

Class of 2023 Valedictorian, Brittani Ryser with Dr. Paul F. Gasparro, President
Belmont College’s Class of 2023 Valedictorian, Brittani Ryser of Freeport, Ohio is pictured with Dr. Paul F. Gasparro, President.

St. Clairsville, OH (May 6, 2023) – Belmont College officials conferred degrees upon a multitude of graduates as part of the College’s 2023 Spring Commencement Ceremonies in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Hundreds of parents, extended family, faculty, and staff were present to congratulate the Class of 2023.

President Dr. Paul F. Gasparro welcomed the graduates, “I want to offer my warmest congratulations to our graduates. You have worked long and hard to be here tonight, and this ceremony is just the beginning of your future. Graduating from college is a major life accomplishment, and we are pleased to be able to share this momentous occasion with you.”

He continued, “Remember, no matter how far or how high you travel, you started here and you have a great foundation to build on. Tonight, is your night and I hope that you enjoy and celebrate it. We are very proud of your achievement and wish you good health, happiness, and continued success in whatever path you choose for your future.”

Graduates from the following programs participated in the commencement ceremony held on Thursday, May 5, 2023: Allied Health Administration; Certified Chemical Dependency Certificate; Computerized Legal Office Specialist; Criminal Justice; Early Childhood Education; Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic; Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Cert.; Firefighter; Legal Office Specialist Certificate; Medical Assisting; Medical Coding Certificate; Mental Health; Phlebotomy Technician Certificate; Practical Nursing Certificate; Radiologic Technology; Registered Nursing; and Transitional Nursing.

Mr. Bernie Albertini delivered the keynote address to the Thursday evening graduates. Mr. Albertini is a Wheeling, West Virginia native with over 20 years of experience working in various levels of healthcare management. He started his career as a pharmacist and quickly worked his up into a C-suite level position for EORH and OVMC in Wheeling.  Mr. Albertini left the Ohio Valley in 2019 to take on a role as Chief Operating Officer at Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, Arizona. In early 2020, he was called with the opportunity to open the previously closed East Ohio Regional Hospital. He is currently the Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Hospital.

In his commencement speech, Albertini said, “To the graduates, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations. Today marks a significant milestone in your journey towards becoming healthcare professionals. Your unwavering commitment to learning, your passion for healthcare, and your resilience in the face of challenges have brought you to this momentous occasion. As you embark on the next phase of your careers, I have no doubt that you will continue to make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of countless patients and their families.”

Additionally, graduates from the following programs will participate in the commencement ceremony to be held on Friday, May 6, 2023: Accounting; Associate of Arts; Associate of Science; Bookkeeper I Certificate; Bookkeeper II Certificate; Building Preservation/Restoration; Business Administration & Leadership; Civil Engineering; Computer Applications Certificate; Cyber Security & Computer Forensics; Cyber Security Certificate; Electronic Media; Energy and Natural Resources; Engineering Applications Certificate; General Bookkeeping Certificate; Graphic Design Certificate; HVAC Technology; HVAC Technology Certificate; Industrial Electronics Technology; Instrumentation and Control; Maintenance Technician I Certificate; Maintenance Technician II Certificate; Natural Resources Certificate; Networking; Payroll Clerk Certificate; PC/Networking Technician Certificate; Pipeline Welder Helper I Certificate; Pipeline Welder Helper II Certificate; Process Technician; Process Control Certificate;

Software Development Fundamentals Certificate; Welding Fabricator Certificate; Welding Technology; and Welding Technology Certificate.

The keynote speaker at the Friday evening graduation was Mr. Brian Joseph. Mr. Joseph is President, CEO, and founder of Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd. in Triadelphia, WV. He grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, and is a graduate of West Liberty University and completed his graduate work in biophysics at The Ohio State University. Mr. Joseph is named on more than 30 patents, has managed over 150 million dollars of R&D programs in the government and private sectors, and spun-out many successful companies based on his and his team’s inventions at Touchstone.

“Touchstone invents new technologies by leveraging the excellent hands-on skills of our local people, just like the graduates in front of us today have,” said Joseph during his commencement address.

The Class of 2023 Valedictorian is Brittani Ryser of Freeport, Ohio. She earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Radiologic Technology. Brittani earned a grade point average of 3.98 and graduated with honors. She also served as Vice President of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the International Honor Society for two-year colleges and a member of Lambda Nu, the national honor society for radiologic and imaging sciences.

The class Salutatorian is Isabella Westfall of Belmont, Ohio, who earned an Associate of Science Degree. She achieved a grade-point-average of 3.97 and graduated with honors. Isabella is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the International Honor Society for two-year colleges.

Additionally, a pinning ceremony was held prior to the Thursday evening commencement ceremony to honor the graduating Associate Degree Nursing students.

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