Heartsaver award

Pictured, from left, are James Stasack, Nursing Simulation and Lab Coordinator; Cynthia Forest, Nursing Instructor; Patrick Grande, Acting Dean of Academic Affairs; Jessie Mascho, Nursing Instructor; Eileen Casey, Director of Nursing, Assistant Professor; Lisa Rendina, Nursing Instructor; and Dr. Greg Truckenmiller, President of SUNY Fulton- Montgomery Community College. In front is Rebecca Guarino, nursing student and award recipient.

SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College recently announced that nursing student Rebecca Guarino (Class of 2025) has been presented with the American Heart Association’s Heartsaver Hero Award. The Heartsaver Hero Award honors individuals who step in to perform CPR on a bystander, significantly improving that person’s chance of survival.

Guarino received this honor for performing lifesaving CPR, alongside another nurse, on a community member during a holiday party at a rural church during the 2024 holiday break. Together, they provided high-quality CPR for approximately 16 minutes, until EMS arrived and transferred the patient to a hospital. The patient went on to make a full recovery.