The Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing hosted its 2025 commencement ceremony on Friday, December 12, at the Stifel Theatre. The event celebrated both undergraduate and graduate achievements—spotlighting the transformative role of nursing and nurse anesthesia in healthcare. The ceremony featured Angelleen Peters-Lewis, PhD, RN, FAAN, the President of Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, as the guest speaker.
Later in the afternoon, a special ceremony was held at Barnes-Jewish College to honor the Nurse Anesthesia Program graduates and their families. This intimate gathering celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2025 and recognized the collaboration with anesthesia providers from the Department of Anesthesiology.
The ceremony opened with welcome remarks from Angela Clark, PhD, RN, MSN, CNE, FAAN, Maxine Clark and Bob Fox President of Barnes-Jewish College, and Bernadette Henrichs, PhD, CRNA, CCRN, CHSE, FAANA, FAAN, Dean of Barnes-Jewish College, reflecting on the accomplishments of the graduates and the power they have to influence the next generation of CRNAs. Additional remarks were delivered by guest speaker David Potter, CRNA, MBA/HCM, who offered words of encouragement and wisdom for the graduates, and the Class of 2025 Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist (SRNA) President, Brianna Baker, SRNA, who celebrated the collective achievements and resilience of her peers.
Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA, Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology and head of the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine, also addressed the graduating class. In his commencement remarks to the graduating class of SRNAs, Avidan encouraged the new clinicians to embrace not only excellence in patient care but also the opportunity to multiply their impact through mentorship and leadership.
“You already have the training and privilege to be a force for good. By providing excellent care and inspiring others through leadership and mentorship, you can multiply your impact—touching not just thousands of patients, but potentially millions over your careers,” he said.
Special recognition was given to Dr. Avidan for his visionary leadership and support of the program, honoring him during his final year as head of the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Henrichs was also recognized with a certificate of appreciation for founding the program in 2004. Additional awards were also presented to graduates, faculty, and students:
Class of 2025 Graduate Awards:
- Tsugie Watanabe Award for Outstanding CT SRNA: Anthony Barker, SRNA
- Award for Clinical Excellence: Brianna Baker, SRNA
- Agatha Hodgins CRNA Award: Brianna Baker, SRNA, and Keishauna Hayes, SRNA
Faculty awards, voted on by the graduating class, included:
- Beverly Kraus Outstanding CRNA Clinical Instructor Award: Mathew Gielow, CRNA, and Maria Romeo, CRNA
- Outstanding MD Clinical Instructor Award: Lucas Matern, MD, and Onat Bermede, MD
- Helen Lamb Outstanding Didactic Instructor Award: Alex Taylor, PhD
Scholarship Awards:
- Watanabe-Henrichs Endowed Scholarship: Megan Monda, SRNA, Rachel Zehner, SRNA, and Sophie Hesse, SRNA
- Debra Fickenwirth Nurse Anesthesia Scholarship: Taylor Richards, SRNA
This year, 14 graduates completed their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees, representing the program’s fourth graduating class at this advanced level of nurse anesthesia education. Following successful certification, nine graduates will join WashU Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).
Congratulations to the Nurse Anesthesia Class of 2025 on their hard work, dedication, and meaningful contributions to the future of nursing and anesthesia care.
