LA CONAH Class of 2024-II Commencement Address - Giving Back to the Community

Dr. Thomas P. Barrera delivered the keynote commencement address at the 157th graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024-II at the LA County College of Nursing and Allied Health (CONAH). The event took place on December 12, 2024, at the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Dr. Barrera's address focused on the theme of “giving back to the community,” inspired by the recently established Joan F. Barrera Memorial Scholarship in Nursing. Alongside Dr. Barrera’s speech, Ms. Nicole E. Jacobson, President of the Class of 2024-II, delivered the Class Response for the 44 graduates present. Dr. Nancy Blake (Chief Nursing Officer, LA General Medical Center) and Dr. Mildred Gonzales (Dean and Program Director, School of Nursing) awarded the Associate of Science (AS) Degree in Nursing diplomas to the Class of 2024-II graduates.

Pictured (left/right: Herminia Honda (Dean, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning, CONAH); Doris DeHart (President, LA County School of Nursing Alumni Association); Rose Barrera; Britanny A.N. Gutierrez (Class of 2024-II); Aura M. Sotoj (Class of 2024-II); Thomas P. Barrera; Tom Barrera; and Laura Torres (Class of 2024-II).

At the graduation ceremony, Ms. Brittany A.N. Gutierrez, Ms. Aura M. Sotoj, and Ms. Laura Torres were introduced as the first recipients of the Joan F. Barrera Memorial Scholarship in Nursing. Scholarship recipients in the fourth semester of 2024 are reimbursed for tuition, books, and/or the licensing fees for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Registered Nurses (RN). The NCLEX-RN exam is a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) that assesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities crucial for safe and effective entry-level nursing practice.

Thomas P. Barrera and Nicole E. Jacobson (President, Class of 2024-II)