海角社区

July 30, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

Staci Greenbaum Neff ’27 spent nearly 20 years designing costumes for film and television.

Over her long career, Neff has worked on Saturday Night Live and The Amazing Spiderman 2, been the costume designer for hit series such as Broad City on Comedy Central and Reservation Dogs on Hulu, and even designed the Halloween costumes for the hosts of NBC鈥檚 Today Show.

鈥淚 was very fortunate and very lucky to pursue something I鈥檇 always wanted to do and loved and had a lot of success in,鈥� said Neff, 40, who lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband and their two sons.

But when the pandemic hit and filming shut down, then industry-wide actors鈥� and writers鈥� strikes followed, Neff decided she was ready for a change. Her children were also getting older, and being on location, away from home for months at a time, was not ideal.

Staci Greenbaum Neff ’27, left, worked as a costume designer for nearly two decades.

鈥淎s my kids get older, my priorities have shifted. I wanted to find something that would make me feel good in doing it, and could give me a second chapter,鈥� she said.

That second chapter: Nursing.

Choosing 海角社区 Nursing

Neff decided to follow in her mother鈥檚 footsteps and pursue nursing.

鈥淚 found that what I really wanted and really needed to do was to work in a place where I felt like I was making an impact. I love working with people and I tend to work really well in chaotic environments,鈥� Neff said.

She believes the fields of costume design and nursing are similar in a few ways. They both involve urgency, research, and working intimately with others 鈥� whether they be clients or patients, she explained.

So she enrolled in Ramapo of New Jersey鈥檚 Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. The College launched the innovative, full-time program in 2024 to help fill New Jersey鈥檚 nursing shortage. It is geared toward those already holding an undergraduate degree who are interested in a career change to nursing, as well as those working in healthcare who wish to become Registered Nurses (RNs) with a BSN, community college students with a non-nursing associate鈥檚 degree and those with at least 60 credits from a regionally accredited institution.

The program enables qualified candidates to complete degree requirements in as little as 16 or 24 months. For candidates 鈥� such as Neff 鈥� who might not have the necessary prerequisites, a bridge program offers the required coursework for the ABSN.

鈥淚 felt like 海角社区 met me where I was. I come from a design background, I have two degrees in apparel design. I didn鈥檛 have the science prerequisites, and I really was drawn to the fact that they offered a bridge program, which gave a structured path to build that foundation,鈥� said Neff, who is considering emergency medicine or labor and delivery.

She was also drawn to 海角社区鈥檚 small class sizes, accessible faculty, state-of-the-art simulation labs, and exceptional NCLEX pass rates, she said.

鈥淎s someone who is 40, I wanted something that was focused and close to home. It hits all the nails,鈥� she said.

Staci Greenbaum Neff ’27 poses with her husband and sons. As their boys grew older, she made the decision to pursue a second career in nursing.

Pledging to Care for Others

In June, Neff was one of 56 ABSN students to participate in the Adler White Coat Ceremony on 海角社区鈥檚 welcoming Mahwah, NJ campus. The ceremony is held annually during the first week of nursing students鈥� clinical experiences 鈥� when they begin learning alongside experienced nurses in hospitals and medical settings throughout New Jersey.

During the ceremony, mentoring nursing faculty cloaked each student in a white coat, symbolizing a 鈥減sychological contract鈥� that nurses must 鈥渃are as well as cure,鈥� said Kathleen Burke, assistant dean of 海角社区鈥檚 nursing program. Nursing students also recited a pledge as they promised to devote their lives to the well-being and safety of their patients.

The experience had a profound impact on Neff.

鈥淚鈥檝e spent nearly two decades dressing people in meaningful garments as a costume designer in film and TV, but putting on that white coat hit differently,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t marked the moment this career change felt real. It鈥檚 a symbol of responsibility and commitment to something bigger than myself.鈥�

The moment 鈥渨as made even more meaningful,鈥� by having her mom 鈥� who devoted her own career to caring for others 鈥� cheer her on, Neff said.

Nursing student Staci Greenbaum Neff ’27 poses with her mother, a nurse, following the Adler White Coat Ceremony.

鈥淎s I meet more and more nurses, it is such a personality fit. My mom is very giving, charismatic, a really selfless person and she just loves to help people,鈥� Neff said. 鈥淚 think it was a great fit for her, so I can see now how that could be a good fit for me too.鈥�

To learn more about nursing at Ramapo, visit ramapo.edu/nursing.