Thursday, October 1, 2026
Central High School graduate Stephen Spencer accumulated several noteworthy accomplishments during his time at Adelphi University, topped off by a final honor — the school’s prestigious senior nursing award.
“I didn’t know I was nominated,” said Spencer, who graduated on May 22.
He was “heavily involved” on campus, working as a resident assistant and orientation leader for the university and serving as an executive board member and new member educator for his fraternity, Pi Lamda Phi. Spencer’s leadership was continued from Central, where he had served as the vice president of his class for three years.
He was selected from his class of 250 nursing students, the largest in the program’s 73-year history, for the Margaret T. Shay Senior Award, named for the second dean of the School of Nursing, through whose efforts the School of Nursing received its first National League for Nursing accreditation. The award is presented to a senior who has “demonstrated leadership ability, commitment to professional nursing and distinguished service to the College of Nursing and Public Health,” the university said in a statement.
As a student at Central, Spencer’s adviser was teacher Christine Costa. He recalled her consistent reinforcement that he had all the qualities required of a healthcare professional, the career path he had his heart set on. “She was someone who was always there for me,” he said.
“I always had an innate fascination with the sciences and the human body,” Spencer said. “I’ve always been interested in how biology — how human cells work together to make the human body.”
A friend’s sister graduated from Adelphi’s nursing program, and she told Spencer that he had the attributes that would lend themselves to a bedside manner. That aspect of the job is one he takes seriously, as his approach is “essentially customer service. It means you have to treat the whole patient; listen to them, advocate for them, establish trust and be responsive to what they want.”
Spencer views nursing as a profession that isn’t fully understood. More than just assisting doctors, the job requires extensive behind-the-scenes work, including advocating for patients and their needs to the physicians and pharmacists who make the final decisions. There is also the responsibility to patients’ families, addressing their concerns and educating them about how to continue care once their loved one leaves the hospital. Nurses have autonomy and a lot of personal responsibility in their roles, Spencer noted; the busy worker bees that make the hive function. “Nurses make up the majority of the healthcare force,” he said.
The risks can be daunting, he added — life and limb are on the line and mistakes could cost a person in his care dearly — but people in healthcare work as a team to mitigate those risks. The severity of the risks is what has always driven Spencer to study and learn what he needs to know to be as effective as possible.
The high risks are complimented by fulfillment: “This is one of the most rewarding occupations that you can go into,” he said. “You know that people will be impacted by you in such a significant way.”
Spencer hopes to work at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhasset, where he is interviewing for the emergency department and critical care fellowship. It’s a yearlong program in a fast-paced environment that requires confidence, he said.
On the heels of graduation, he is still focused on learning and hopes to teach someday. “The sky is literally the limit,” he said. “I feel [that] the moment I have an end goal, that’s kind of where my career ends.”
Spencer referenced a quote about nursing from Maya Angelou that sums up his feeling about the work: “As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul, and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
