Aliceon F. Calta, RN

Growing up, Aliceon Calta, RN often accompanied her mom — then a nursing professor — to leadership conferences and played a patient in nursing simulation labs. 

“I loved every minute of it,” said Aliceon. 

Still, she didn’t think about becoming a nurse herself. 

Then, during a visit to Troy, Aliceon and her mom stopped at Russell Sage College — her mom’s alma mater. They took a few pictures, picked up bagels at a shop near campus and returned home to Windsor, New York. 

It was a quick stop, but Sage’s Troy campus made an impression on Aliceon. 

“It’s such a beautiful place to be,” she said. 

When she began to think seriously about pursuing a Nursing degree, Sage’s competitive financial aid and the Nursing department’s excellent reputation made it her top choice. 

“My mother has been a successful nurse for 25 years and is currently a chief nursing officer, so I knew that I had to start where she did,” Aliceon said.

Aliceon entered college with an interest in the spiritual components of Nursing, which she further developed as an officer in the campus Spirituality Center’s Catholic ministry. 

She built more leadership skills in the Student Nurses Association, serving as president and helping to establish a mentorship program to match first- and second-year students with upper level Nursing students. 

And she found so much encouragement: from alumna and Assistant Professor Marcy Fiet and lecturer Tiffany Schermerhorn, who Aliceon named as personal and professional role models; from her clinical preceptors; and from the department’s leadership.  

“The undergraduate Nursing department works diligently to find the best clinical experiences for nursing students, and I cannot be more grateful,” Aliceon said. 

When classes went remote at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sage quickly executed an affiliate agreement with a hospital in Aliceon’s hometown, so she could still fulfill her clinical requirements in person.

“That time only made me stronger, and I learned so much,” she added, of finishing her Nursing degree and starting her career in the midst of COVID. 

Today, Aliceon is a registered nurse in Florida, on a cardiovascular progressive care unit.

“I care for those with severe heart and respiratory conditions,” she said. “I always keep my loved ones in mind as I care for my patients.” 

She recently joined the Shared Governance Council at her hospital and will begin her master’s degree in the near future. 

And she has followed in the footsteps of her favorite professors, becoming a role model herself: “I always love having a student nurse shadow me for the day,” she said. “Above all, nursing is such a beautiful calling that I am blessed to be a part of!”