On Dec. 18, Madison College graduates turned their tassels during the Fall 2023 Commencement Ceremony at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum.  

Graduate Emily Dolan was the student speaker at the ceremony. She reflected on her time at Madison College, which began in 2007. 

She said it didn’t matter if she was a 23-year-old getting started, an exhausted mom during the pandemic or a working mom trying to make her R.N. dream finally come true. 

“I was welcomed with open arms three times here,” Dolan said. 

Like many graduates, Dolan took a different educational path. A few years after graduating high school, she was eager to fulfill her dream of becoming an R.N. However, a long waiting list delayed her R.N. completion, so she entered the workforce.   

She wanted to return to Madison College and finish her R.N. but needed to balance work, family, and her desire to continue her education.  

Years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, undergoing hours of isolation with her children, Dolan found herself researching the best place for her to complete her degree. Her research always led her back to Madison College.  

The anticipation of completion would carry her through the hardships of COVID-19, giving her something to look forward to at night after her kids went to bed. She completed a liberal arts degree, lovingly calling it her, “pandemic project.”   

In the fall of 2022, she started the Nursing Bridge Program, completing it after one summer and three full-time semesters.  

“I am here to tell you that dreams can come true. As you sit here tonight and reflect on all the hard work and dedication it took to get to this point, remember that it all started with a simple dream,” Dolan said. 

Dolan offered advice that resonated with many in the audience who understand that the path to an education is not always straight and direct. 

“My path was not linear, and yours doesn’t have to be either,” she said. 

Dolan encouraged her peers to reassess as they go through life and determine if they feel compelled to do something new. 

“There is no required timeline for investing in your future,” said Dolan, noting the spectrum of graduates; some completing their first degree, others returning to college, or parents sacrificing countless hours away from their families. 

Dolan explained that while her children don’t fully understand the reason for the sacrifices because they are young, she knows someday they will.  

The nursing graduate knows if she could have finished her nursing degree before she had children, it would have simplified her path, but she is delighted with where her path took her. “The nonlinear path I have taken has led me to this incredible moment with all of you,” Dolan said.  

Dolan will soon begin an R.N. residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital Cardiac ICU. The long road may have taken 16 years, but it made her appreciate the end goal more. 

“Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. I hope that you go forward with excitement and positivity and always remember that it is never too late to make your dreams come true,” she said.