A Commencement honor fuels a life of character and commitment to others
Each year at Commencement, Cheshire Academy bestows the Jennifer Hawke-Petit Recognition Award on a deserving senior who emulates the late nurse’s wisdom, expertise, caring, and kindness. The 2020 recipient, Riley Norwood ’20, was no exception.
“Riley accepted that award and made it her driving force to make Jennifer proud,” said Norwood’s mom Trisha.
And she’s well on her way: this year, Riley earned her nursing degree at Mount Saint Mary College and has embarked on her own career as a registered nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Yale New Haven Hospital. She’s also a member of Yale’s Critical Care Nursing Residency Program.
As if that weren’t enough, the CA softball standout started all four years on her college team, a rarity for students who take on the demanding schedule of a nursing degree. She’s eying opportunities to coach a youth or travel team in the future.
Decisions, Decisions
You might think Norwood was one of those students who was sure of her future career, laser focused from an early age. You’d be wrong.
“No, I was not one of those,” said Norwood, laughing. In fact, she considered careers in athletic training and physical therapy before settling on a nursing career at the very end of her sophomore year of college.
Once she decided, however, Norwood threw herself into the degree program and all the ways she could grow as both a nurse and a leader. She served as a nursing peer tutor and a peer mentor for Mount St. Mary’s Nursing Workforce Diversity Program and was president of the Student Nurses’ Association (SNA). She organized community blood drives and workshops, most notably teaching fellow students how to administer naloxone, the anti-opioid overdose medication.
“I was very thrilled and ready for the challenge [of being SNA president],” Norwood told her college magazine. “I think it really helped me to become a great leader.”
Norwood was inducted into nursing’s Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society and Alpha Chi Honor Society for general academics and served as president of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society for student athletes. She was also named an Aquinas Scholar, one of the most prestigious academic awards at “the Mount.”
Norwood enjoys the challenge inherent in nursing, something she first experienced as a Cheshire Academy student while shadowing a family friend who was a nurse. She found the idea of helping others in stressful situations exhilarating.
“I walked into the OR and thought, ‘This is where I want to be,’” she said.
Finding Her Focus
As a new nurse, Norwood is considering a career in flight nursing, which would allow her to practice in different locales, and going back to school to become a certified nurse anesthetist. Yale has a CNA program, she said.
“I like nursing because it’s varied,” the East Haven resident said. “If you get bored in one area, you can switch and do something else.”
Norwood also appreciates her many opportunities to help others in the healthcare field. While at CA, she gained her EMT license and — in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy — helped her dad, a former firefighter, lead Stop the Bleed education for schoolteachers, including at Cheshire Academy. In recent years, the duo has taught at her college where the School of Nursing and athletics offices now have kits to help people save lives in an emergency.
“It left a lasting mark,” she said of the effort.
Covering Her Bases
When it comes to sports, Norwood excelled at Mount Saint Mary. She won the Female Knight of the Year Award from the Athletics Department for both 2022 and 2023 and All-Conference honors for 2023. She was thrilled to be back on the CA campus to cheer on the 2024 softball team as it won the Western New England Prep Schools Association Division B Final. Her cousin, Kaleigh Durkin ’25, plays on the team, making victory even sweeter.
Playing a sport through high school and college gave her two things that might seem diametrically opposed — discipline and freedom. As with her chosen profession, it was a chance for her to show how perseverance and hard work for others pays off.
“Softball was my out. I couldn’t procrastinate because I didn’t have time to procrastinate,” she said. “But it was also an opportunity to let go and be free.”
