PIQUA — Edison State Community College honored 31 recent nursing graduates on Dec. 15, 2022, with a pinning ceremony held in a gymnasium filled with family and friends.

Today’s nurses continue to face unprecedented challenges, making the ceremony even more special for the students who have chosen to enter the career field, according to a press release from Edison State Community College.

The pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition in which the graduate nurse is presented to family and friends as a professional who is about to practice nursing. The graduate is usually pinned by the faculty members who have worked with them throughout their studies. Each school has a unique pin, which serves as a symbol of the successful completion of a rigorous curriculum that prepares graduates to administer to the sick and injured and promote health through the practice of nursing.

“This is a very special event that marks these graduates entering into a profession of honor and sacrifice,” said Edison State President Dr. Doreen Larson. “You certainly know it’s a critical profession at every stage of life.”

“I’m always greeted, when I go out into the community, with many positive comments about Edison State. We have many wonderful programs and many fantastic graduates, but I have to say, our nursing graduates are above and beyond. They have an amazing reputation and have worked very hard in this program.”

The ceremony included a speech from guest speaker Tina Mayberry, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and Vice President of Patient Care at Kettering Health Troy. Mayberry has worked in hospital nursing for 37 years, including med-surg, ICU, nurse and supervision, clinical documentation, nursing school liaison, and nurse manager.

She shared her own journey in the nursing field to show that graduates can learn something from a variety of roles if they stay in the job long enough. “If you try something, and it’s not a good fit, I ask you to give it at least two years. In all the jobs I’ve had, I’ve always stayed at least two years.”

Class representatives Kelsey Dugas and Leslie Anderson also provided remarks.

“I’d like to thank you all for being here to celebrate our success,” Dugas said. “Six-hundred ninety-five days ago, we started this journey called nursing school, and indeed, it was a journey.”

Dugas also thanked the nursing faculty for sharing their experience and supporting students in the program. “As we move on to being professional nurses, we’ll carry your lessons with us.” To her fellow graduates, she added, “Remember how hard we’ve worked to achieve this and how many people are rooting for you.”

“Together, we laughed and cried, we shared our stresses along the way, and we celebrated each victory,” said Anderson. “Without each other, we wouldn’t have made it this far, so thank you to our class.”

Following the successful completion of the nursing program, graduates will prepare to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become Registered Nurses (RNs).

Edison State’s nursing program has maintained full accreditation and approval throughout its history. In 2018, the Ohio Board of Nursing granted Edison State’s Associate of Nursing degree program a full five-year approval. In 2019, the program earned an eight-year continued accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the highest level a program can receive.

Applications for Edison State’s Registered Nursing program are currently being accepted for the fall 2023 semester. For more information about the program, visit www.edisonohio.edu/programs.

Edison State is proud to recognize the following nursing graduates: Leslie Anderson, of Troy; Allyce Bond, of Eaton, Channon Collins, of Piqua; Marcus Cornett, of St. Paris; Kelsey Dugas, of Tipp City; Ryan Elliott, of Bradford; Sevda Gafurova, of Tipp City; Kourtney Goffinet, of Troy; Paige Graham, of Sidney; Taylor Hamilton, of Piqua; Kristen Hammaker, of Vandalia; Roger Hoff, of New Lebanon; Taylor Hoskins, of Centerville; Kierstin Jackson, of Troy; Emily Kindell, of Troy; Megan Leckey, of Springfield; Olivia Mohler, of Covington; Jolie Nyiramahirwe, of Kettering; Sara O’Dell, of Fort Recovery; Ahlam Partee, of Casstown; LeAndra Patchin, of Springfield; Danielle Shorter, of Lima; Breann Smith, of Sidney; Cory Snell, of Dayton; Brooke Stoler, of Anna; Hollie Thompson, of Greenville; Wendy Ullery-Smith, of St. Paris;• Chelsea Ward, of Piqua; Drew Whaley, of St. Paris; Mary Wood, of Greenville; Kelsey Wyatt, of Troy.