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Ridgeland Campus holds parking lot ADN pinning ceremony
The Ridgeland Campus of Holmes Community College held a "drive up" Pinning Ceremony for the graduating Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Class of 2020 on May 7 in the Ridgeland Campus parking lot.
COVID-19 might have made holding a large ceremony in an auditorium not possible, but the faculty and staff still made sure the day was special for the graduates. Nursing faculty decorated their cars and graduates drove up one-by-one to receive their pin and lamp, just like they normally would in a ceremony. Students were asked to have a family member pin them at home, get someone to take a short video of it and submit it. All of the pinnings will be combined with a live Zoom meeting of the graduates reciting the Nightingale Pledge so they will experience all parts of the traditional ceremony.
Thirty-three students graduated from the program. Graduates included: Mandi Beard of Terry; Maggie Bloodworth of Flowood; Christian Bourn of Ridgeland; Kayla Bradley of Pearl; Hayley Chamblee of Brandon; Sara Grace Colbert of Brandon; Lauren Coon of Flora; Jackson Cooper of Florence; Hope England of Ridgeland; Joseph Guthrie of Yazoo City; Akeyia Harris of Vicksburg; Ariel Hilliard of Jackson; Susan Kuntz of Carthage; Kadedria Luckett of Canton; Hannah Mabry of Brandon; Debra McCarty of Brandon; Shelby McKee of Madison; Bayly Moss of Lena; Cassandra Newman of Madison; Amanda Nicholson of Madison; McKenna Patridge of Brandon; Taylor Rice of Brandon; Lyric Richards of Madison; Quentin Shines, Jr., of Ridgeland; Tamara Sims of Canton; Anna Stewart of Madison; Rebecca Strong of Utica; Maria Tello of Jackson; Kelly Thompson of Brandon; Stacy Trejo of Jackson; Karah Vinzant of Brandon; Kristina Weathersby of Hazlehurst and Raveen Wilson of Terry.
"Congratulations to the 2020 class graduates of Holmes Community College Associate Degree Nursing program!" said ADN Department Chair/Assistant Director Dr. Alice Austin. "This semester did not end as any of us had planned but they did it. Each one of them have persevered. I pray that each one of them continues to be a life-learner as they endeavor on their nursing career. Each of them have learned professionalism, integrity and how to safely care for a diverse group of clients.
"Due to the pandemic, this graduating class will be able to apply for a temporary work permit and proceed to work without taking the NCLEX-RN first," Dr. Austin said. "The faculty and I want each of the graduates to continue to prepare daily so that when the opportunity arises for them to take boards they will be successful. Congratulations and Happy Nurses Week to all of the graduates."
For more information on the ADN program at Holmes, contact Shiquita Haralson Rand at sharalson@holmescc.edu or (601) 605-3439.
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