Race to 100 Alumni
Toby Bressler, PhD, RN, OCN, FAAN
KCC Class of 2006
Major: Nursing
Current Title/Profession: Vice President of Patient Care Services, Smilow Cancer Hospital:
Yale New Haven Health
Nominated by: Aba Agolli
In 2019 KCC invited Dr. Toby Bressler ‘06 to serve as the Outstanding Alumnus Keynote Speaker for that fall’s Dean’s List Ceremony. Today, Dr. Bressler is the Vice President of Patient Care Services at Smilow Cancer Hospital while also serving as Treasurer & Director at Large Oncology Nursing Society and Associate Clinical Professor at Yale School of Medicine. Despite the successes she boasts today, when Dr. Bressler first attended KCC, she felt the odds were stacked against her…
“I had been out of school for 10 ten years,” she says, recounting her experience. “I was a mother with a large family, with zero college credits, so I didn’t feel like the ‘ideal student’ at all.” Knowing that KCC had a great reputation for nursing, Dr. Bressler nonetheless enrolled, and quickly felt at home thanks to the college’s supportive faculty and staff.
“KCC was always ready to meet me halfway. When I first started, I barely knew how to use a computer, but I was always given the assistance I needed. The Financial Aid office was very helpful as well, guiding me step by step.”
Dr. Bressler also credits KCC for broadening her personal and cultural horizons. “I’ve always thought of KCC as a ‘miniature United Nations.’ One of the first friends I made was a West Indian woman, and we bonded right away over the fact that we were both returning students. I’ve always appreciated KCC’s promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion – values that I continue to live by in my own life and work.”
Of course, her KCC experience would not have been complete without the outstanding professors in the Nursing department. “I would never be where I am today without teachers like Colleen Kumar and Carmel Ficorelli. They are what I hope I am now as a mentor.”
Dr. Bressler is enormously grateful for her KCC experience, and hopes that today’s students follow her example of persistence and dedication. “Never give up on your dream, and don’t be discouraged by obstacles and roadblocks. Ultimately, they will help you grow!”
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