Brookdale Sonography Graduates Ready to Make an Impact

From Classroom to Career: Brookdale Sonography Graduates

Brookdale Community College celebrated the 2026 graduating class of its Diagnostic Medical Sonography program during a commencement ceremony on August 7, recognizing 10 graduates who completed an intensive year of classroom, laboratory, and clinical training designed to prepare them for careers in diagnostic ultrasound.

The celebration also highlighted the success of Brookdale’s accelerated healthcare training program, which is offered at the College’s Wall Regional Location. All 10 graduates had already passed the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination, an important professional milestone for aspiring sonographers.

Scott Shanes, program manager of Healthcare Training, welcomed the graduates and their families and reflected on the dedication required to reach graduation.

“The past year and a half has certainly been a testament to your hard work and your perseverance,” Shanes said. “You have grown from students into skilled healthcare professionals, and we couldn’t be prouder of everything that you’ve accomplished.”

Brookdale’s entry-level Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is a full-time, 12-month training program consisting of more than 1,600 hours of classroom instruction, laboratory experience, and clinical training. Limited to 10 students per class, the program prepares participants to safely and competently operate diagnostic medical sonography equipment and produce diagnostic ultrasound images.

Students study patient care, professional development, cross-sectional anatomy, normal and abnormal abdominal and pelvic anatomy, obstetrics, ultrasound physics, and proper scanning techniques. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination in sonography. After passing the ARRT examination, graduates are eligible to sit for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) examination.

Program Coordinator and Lead Instructor Roseanne Gordon, BS, RDMS, ABD, OB/GYN, has helped guide Brookdale’s program for the past seven years. During the ceremony, Shanes credited Gordon’s leadership and the program team’s commitment to continuous improvement with building what he described as “one of the most recognized programs in the field and in the state.”

Gordon told graduates that succeeding in sonography requires more than mastering sophisticated medical technology. While sonographers use technology and sound waves to capture images that can help physicians make critical medical decisions, their role goes far beyond operating equipment.

Drawing on her 35 years in the profession, Gordon emphasized the trust patients place in sonographers and the importance of compassionate care.

“Years from now, the patient won’t remember the pictures that you took, but they will remember how you made them feel,” she said. “The images you capture may forever live in medical records, but the kindness that you show can live forever.”

Graduating student speaker Kayla Honsby brought both humor and emotion to the celebration as she reflected on the class’s journey from anxiously awaiting acceptance emails to becoming graduates.

“If someone had told us 11 months ago that we’d be standing here today as ultrasound program graduates, I’m pretty sure that most of us would have smiled, but then immediately asked, ‘Does that mean we have to take physics?’” she joked.

Honsby recalled the anticipation of receiving the acceptance email that began the journey for each member of the class.

“That email carried so much hope,” she said. “Hope that we were good enough, hope that we were capable, hope that our dreams were finally within reach.”

For Honsby, who returned to the classroom after nearly a decade, completing the program demonstrated what can happen when students push beyond their doubts.

“The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program here at Brookdale Community College taught me something special,” she said. “It taught me that confidence doesn’t come before the hard things. It comes because of the hard things.”

“Eleven months ago, we hoped we could. Today, we know we can.”

Faculty members also praised the graduates for the rigor of their preparation. Physics instructor Thomas O’Toole noted that students balanced demanding coursework with extensive laboratory and clinical training. He told the graduates he would be proud to work alongside any of them professionally.

Lab instructor and lead sonographer Jennifer Comito praised the graduates’ preparation for entering the profession, noting that Brookdale students consistently stand out for their readiness to work in the field.

As the ceremony concluded, Shanes encouraged the graduates to carry their determination into their new careers.

“You are the eyes that get to see what others cannot, and your work will make a profound difference,” Shanes said. “We have no doubt you will succeed.”

Those interested in applying to the Fall 2026 class may contact Joyce Cosentino at jcosentino@brookdalecc.edu.

For more information about Diagnostic Medical Sonography and other healthcare training programs offered at Brookdale, visit the College’s Healthcare Programs webpage.

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