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RIDGELAND, Miss. — Holmes Community College honored Occupational Therapy Assistant graduates during a pinning ceremony held May 6 at 9 a.m. in the McGowan Workforce Training Center on the Ridgeland Campus.
The ceremony recognized students completing the college’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Technology program, a two-year course of study designed to prepare graduates to work alongside licensed occupational therapists in a variety of health care settings.
The ceremony began with a welcome from instructor Erica Fitzhugh, COTA/L, followed by the introduction of faculty, administration and students. Class President Madison del Rio delivered the keynote address.
Fitzhugh then pinned each graduate, symbolizing their transition into the profession.
Awards presented included the OTA Student of the Year Award and the Mississippi Occupational Therapy Association scholarship, both awarded to del Rio. Lawanda Parks received the Outstanding Clinical Experience Award, and Ja’Kora Eskridge received the Outstanding Growth Award.
Class Vice President Madison Hall led her classmates and all occupational therapy practitioners present in the Occupational Therapy Creed. Instructors Fitzhugh and Monica McDonald offered closing remarks following the creed.
The Ridgeland Campus-based OTA program includes both academic and clinical experiences that emphasize communication skills, patient care techniques and the ability to implement treatment plans across the lifespan. Occupational therapy assistants play a vital role in helping patients develop, recover and maintain daily living and work skills. Graduates are trained to promote healthy lifestyles, restore or maintain function, modify activities for success and assist in preventing disability. Students who complete the program earn an Associate of Applied Science degree and are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapy Assistants administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Class officers included Madden Brewer, public relations; Madison del Rio, president; Ja’Kora Eskridge, secretary; and Ally Purvis, treasurer.
The pinning ceremony serves as a milestone for graduates as they transition from classroom instruction and clinical training into the professional workforce.
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Pictured is the OTA Class of 2026 (left to right) Instructor Erica Fitzhugh, Lawanda Parks, Ally Purvis, Madison del Rio, Ja’Kora Eskridge, Madison Hall, Madden Brewer, Ania Thomas-Albrecht and Instructor Monica McDonald.
