Nursing Instructor Retires After More Than 18 Years at Blackhawk

When Deb Pessoa was a child, she read the Cherry Ames book series of 27 novels about a mystery-solving nurse. Like Cherry Ames, Deb decided she wanted to make a difference in the lives of her patients and later her students.

Deb retired in May after more than 18 years as a nursing instructor at Blackhawk, including the last 4½ years as the Program Chair of the Nursing program.

Deb received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma in 1977. After earning her Master of Nursing from the University of Kansas in 1988, she taught at the Tri-College Nursing Consortium in North Dakota. She also did work as a house supervisor in a 200+ bed hospital, which gave her great preparation for teaching.

Deb said she likes that many of the students coming through Blackhawk’s Nursing program are entering the field as a second career.

“These students bring a depth of experience to their own learning and practice from which our younger students learn a great deal,” she said.

While technology has led to a greater number of online opportunities for the students coming through her program, that flexibility needs to be tempered.

“We as educators are challenged to be sure it is equally balanced with face-to-face encounters, particularly with patients,” she said.

At the end of every semester, students in the Nursing program attend a pinning ceremony, which signifies the graduate’s official initiation into the field of nursing. It’s these ceremonies that stick out to Deb.

“I am reminded of the sacrifices our students and their families make for them to be able to reach their goal of becoming a nurse,” she said.

She’ll miss her colleagues and their dedication to their students. And, of course, she’ll miss the students, who she said she has learned so much from during her time at Blackhawk.

Following her retirement, Deb still plans to maintain her association with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and will serve on site-visit teams and evaluation-review panels as needed.

Upon her retirement, Deb and her husband traveled to Portugal. This summer, they plan to sell their house and move to Oshkosh, where their two children live with their spouses. Their first grandchild is due to arrive in early October.

Congratulations on your retirement, Deb!