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Once a Shark, Always a Shark
As a graduate of Nova Southeastern University's Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, you're a member for life. NSU’s Alumni Association is your connection to a global network of over 200,000 alumni, with members across all 50 states and over 119 countries around the world. The Alumni Association is committed to keeping you connected to NSU and fostering relationships with your fellow Sharks through networking opportunities and social mixers.
All NSU graduates have a free lifetime membership in the Alumni Association with access to special members-only benefits and services.
Alumni Association Membership Perks
Access alumni-only benefits like discounted memberships and special offers through NSU-partnered organizations.
Explore the Extraordinary Journeys of NSU College of Nursing Alumni
Read the stories of NSU College of Nursing alumni who have transformed their education into inspiring careers. From overcoming obstacles to making strides in the industry, these graduates exemplify dedication, innovation, and compassion in the nursing field.
“Beside the fact that the graduate nursing programs at NSU have an excellent reputation, my experience as an undergrad at NSU was incredible. I trusted the faculty of the graduate nursing programs would be just as supportive and encouraging, and I was right.”
Kyle Disney ’24 | B.S.N.-D.N.P.
Kyle Disney has long-time connections to the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing at Nova Southeastern University. After completing his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at NSU in 2018 as a distinguished student, he gained experience in an emergency department and intensive care unit as a staff nurse and travel nurse. Driven to advance even further in his field, he returned to NSU, enrolling in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (B.S.N.-D.N.P.) while working as a critical care flight nurse. On track to graduate in August of 2024, he plans to begin his next career chapter in the intensive care unit as an acute care advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).
Kyle is more than familiar with a diverse range of demanding clinical environments. As he nears the end of the program, Kyle knows he has the skills and confidence needed to go even further in acute care settings.
He shares that the B.S.N.-D.N.P. equipped him with advanced clinical skills, cultural competency, and leadership abilities crucial for South Florida’s diverse healthcare landscape. The curriculum, focused on evidence-based practice, adaptability, and population health, prepared him to manage everything from complex patient cases to advocating for patient care. Combined with his clinical training, hands-on experience, and mentorship at NSU, he says that he feels prepared for the next step in his nursing career.
Kyle’s experience at NSU touched on everything from academics to family connections. During his undergraduate studies, Kyle met his wife, Beyli Disney, who is alongside him in the B.S.N.-D.N.P. program.. Several semesters into the program, Kyle and Beyli married. A year later, in July of 2023, they welcomed their first child, Emma Olivia Disney, who attended many Zoom meetings related to school.
He attributes the successful completion of his journey to the incredible support of family, friends, and faculty of NSU, and he is thankful for the opportunity to advance his clinical knowledge and practice in nursing.
I believe it is imperative to promote nursing and to give back to the nursing profession, she stated. I hope to teach one day, and to share the knowledge and experiences I have encountered with future nursing students. My future plans are to finish a doctorate in nursing, and for now, continue to work and live in this remote area of Alaska.
Sonia Reisdorf, M.S.N. | Class of 2014
Sonia Reisdorf, M.S.N., a 2014 graduate of the college’s Master of Nursing Education program and recent recipient of the 2014 Chancellor’s Award for Community Involvement, has spent the past two-plus years working at a critical access hospital located in Kotzebue, Alaska, located 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
This Alaskan Hospital provides care to a population of 8,000, which includes the town of Kotzebue (population: 3,000) and 11 outlying villages with approximately 5,000 residents primarily comprised of Alaskan Native Americans. According to Reisdorf, there is no road system and the area is only accessible by plane, with the nearest hospital located 546 miles away in Anchorage. The location and remoteness of this area present many challenges for individuals seeking access to health care, including providing culturally competent health care.
Reisdorf has worked hard to help improve the health of local citizens by embracing the culture through active community involvement in health fairs that promote healthy lifestyles. Because this area is only accessible by plane and only has one grocery store, fresh fruits and vegetables are not generally available. Classes in food preparation using dried vegetables have been incorporated during the health fairs to teach the community how to seek alternatives when fresh options are not available. Because exercise is just as important as nutrition, Reisdorf teaches a Zumba fitness class once a week at the local high school that has been so well received classes are now being offered in several outlying villages.
Reisdorf explained that recruiting and retaining staff is a major challenge because many of the medical providers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses stay for only a short time because the extreme environment leads to a high turnover rate. Reisdorf, however, is committed to serving and encouraging others to improve the health of the community. As a result, she is actively involved with nursing students through the University of Alaska Anchorage in supervising clinicals and classroom sessions for the distance R.N. program. She has also functioned as the agency coordinator for the University of Washington’s medical-surgical review and certification course to ensure the professional development of nurses in her area.
As an alum, I believe we have an opportunity and a purpose to give back. Everyone who graduates from here lifts up the next generation.
Lyn Peugeot D.N.P. ’17 | Program Director, B.S.N.
Lyn Peugeot graduated from the College of Nursing’s R.N. to B.S.N. program in 2012 with highest honors and is in the NSUCON nonclinical master’s program completing her M.S.N. degree with a concentration in nursing education. She is committed to being a role model for lifelong learning and mentoring others and says her long-term goal is to teach in academia.
During the time she was in the R.N. to B.S.N. program, she was a telehealth manager overseeing the after-hours operations for nine programs. Prior to her R.N. to B.S.N. graduation, she became a clinical nurse educator in hospice and palliative care.
Peugeot is truly changing lives and changing the world through her outstanding service to the community and her extraordinary dedication to the nursing profession. Her goal is to build collaborative relationships and bring positive influence of the hospice philosophy to stakeholders in the community.
Peugeot is a national speaker for end-of-life and palliative-care topics through panel discussions, presentations, and webinars that include the Florida Association Directors of Administration, the Florida Medical Directors Association, the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Florida Nursing Home Administrators organization.
She serves on the R.N.-B.S.N. Broward College Scholarship Committee, the Broward College R.N.-B.S.N. End-of-Life course Program Advisory Committee, and is a certified End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Train the Trainer. She also serves her community by volunteering with the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the Alzheimer’s Association Southeast Chapter. Her professional affiliations include the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the Florida Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, and the American Nurses Association.
Do the right thing for the right reason for the good of the patient and you can never go wrong.
Ann Forgione, B.S.N. | Class of 2008
Anne Forgione, who graduated from the R.N. to B.S.N. program in 2008, exemplifies the core values of innovation, creativity, and student-centered education—a fact evidenced in 2013 when she received the prestigious College of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award.
She was a key leader in the development and implementation of the nursing Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) partnership between NSU and the Lee Memorial Hospital System (LMHS). This initiative began in 2010 based on the need to improve clinical nursing education for baccalaureate students and to provide a more consistent practice environment for nursing students that integrated the mission and values of NSU and the LMHS.
Forgione's research related to this new model of student education was the basis for the DEU’s development. This initiative serves as an excellent example of her commitment to the nursing profession, the community, and nursing education. Since its inception, the DEU has helped improve patient care and has led to improved patient satisfaction scores and positive feedback from students, faculty members, and staff nurses.
Forgione is enrolled as a second-year student in the Master of Science in Nursing program, pursuing a concentration in health systems leadership.
“One of the most important things I learned as a B.S.N. student was how all the puzzle pieces fit together and understanding the reasoning and evidence that support what we do as nurses every day,” she said.
Forgione believes today’s nurses are the drivers and leaders at all levels of health care change and that knowledge related to business, cost, and legislative changes is imperative for every patient-care decision a nurse makes. She emphasizes the importance of working together for a common purpose and the need to have an passion for nurses do.
FABIEN R. PAMPALONI, R.N., B.S.N. | CLASS OF 2008
Since graduating from the Entry-Level Nursing Program in 2008, Fabien R. Pampaloni has been highly successful and has become a wonderful role model for students and the community.
Upon graduation, Pampaloni began his nursing career at Broward General Medical Center, where he worked the nightshift in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Unfortunately, a year after he was hired, he received notice from the United States government that he would need to return to his native country of Switzerland due to the declining national economy in the United States.
Pamploni complied with the government directive and returned to Switzerland for several months. He contacted 50 health care professionals to seek help in returning to the United States.
In 2010, Linda Wilson, Ph.D., R.N., from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, asked Pampaloni to serve as a technology research assistant in its new simulation center, which allowed him to return to this country. Despite the challenges this opportunity presented, he succeeded in this role. In fact, he learned to successfully write grants that funded three projects, manage a simulation center, educate standardized patients, and promote patient safety.
In 2010, Pampaloni published his inaugural article, which was followed by the publication of four chapters in a text entitled Human Simulation for Nursing and Health Professions in 2012. He also created several Web sites and served as Webmaster for the New Jersey/Bermuda PeriAnesthesia Nurses Association for three years. In addition to these accomplishments, Pampaloni has been invited to present numerous presentations as well as conduct several workshops on simulation all over the country. He also served as treasurer for Sigma Theta Tau International in Philadelphia.
In 2011, he was approached to work for Pocket Nurse Enterprises because the organization was interested in opening its international branch and needed a multilingual person with a background in nursing and simulation. Fortunately for Pampaloni, he is fluent in English, Italian, and French and can converse in Spanish and German.
Today, he is serving as an account manager in eight international territories for Pocket Nurse, where his responsibilities include developing international trade and distributor agreements, serving as liaison between Pocket Nurse and non-English-speaking customers, and assisting customers with nursing and medical inquiries.
Pampaloni clearly exhibits our core values, has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of nursing, and has demonstrated great pride in his alma mater.