Future nurses lauded in pinning ceremony

KOKOMO, Ind. - Fifty-five future nurses were welcomed to the profession by the faculty and staff of Indiana University Kokomo's School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions (SNAHP) in the annual pinning ceremony, held Thursday (May 2).

The pinning ceremony is an honored tradition created in the 1860s to honor Florence Nightingale, a pioneer and founder in the field of nursing. Those recognized in the ceremony earned their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

"It's a great relief," graduating senior Sergio Gonzalez said. "If you think about it, the last four years have been very difficult, so just understanding that we're in a good spot and getting ready to go out into the real world is good."

Getting to the pinning ceremony felt "rewarding" for Ashley Carter.

"It feels very rewarding, because the journey was not easy," she said. "It was very long, very hard, but this is the light at the end of the tunnel."

Carter said that she has been well prepared by SNAHP faculty to join the nursing field.

"I feel like they have taught me a lot and given a lot of opportunities for us to learn more," she said. "They give us opportunities…great opportunities to prepare us for the real world."

In her address to the graduates, Dean Susan Hendricks acknowledged their hard work, and the place they now hold in the field of nursing.

"As we take part in the pinning ceremony, we claim our place among the tradition of graduates who have provided exceptional nursing care and leadership in healthcare throughout our history," Hendricks said.

"Nurses bring a very important ethical imperative to their work, wherever we serve, and we add value wherever we work," she added.

Hendricks asked the graduates to take a moment to reflect on their journeys to their pinning ceremony.

"Nursing has never been an easy profession," she said. "Remember that you have earned your place in this profession. You have a right to be here, you have the knowledge, skills and ability to do this role. Hold your head up high."

Honorees are listed by degree and hometown. They include:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing:

Arcadia: Angelica Montgomery

Anderson: Sydney Hatter

Auburn: Sarah Williams

Bunker Hill: Haley Read

Camden: Madison Dyke

Carmel: Annalyse Harrington

Elwood: Corinne Chimel

Fishers: Regan Wadsworth

Frankfort: Arisbeth Rosales

Galveston: Katelyn Schreckenghaust

Greentown: Ethan Duchateau

Indianapolis: Linh Chau, Stella Olayiwola

Kokomo: Tiwaa Ababio, Kaiya Allen, Bethany Babcock, Emma Byrum, Alexis Dukes, Tara Gibson, Alexis James, Angelina Pemberton, Jaycee Polk, Madyson Sparger, Trey Watson

Lafayette: Evalin Hair, Megan Moore, Alilexus Oswalt

Logansport: Daima Fermoselle, Alayna Rippy, Tyler Whitehead

Marion: Maiah Hudson

Michigantown: Kimberlee Kingma, Alexis McQuinn

Mishawaka: Sabrina Miller

Monticello: Jaquelin Castillo Santiago

Mulberry: Kendra Brewer, Tye Kerschner

Muncie: Emmanuelle Tano

Noblesville: Ashley Carter, Kennedy Penwell, Grace Peters, Audrey Soel

Otterbein: Ashlyn Pritchett

Peru: Nicholas Atkinson, Blake Edwards

Rochester: Charlie Pocock, Alivia Riegle

Royal Center: Olivia Belt

Tipton: Brittany Ryan, Kaitlyn Williams

Walton: Sergio Gonzalez

Westfield: Jocelyn Grider, Sarais Rincon Morales, Daniil Svintsitskiy

Winamac: Madison White

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Inductees:

Kendra Brewer, Jaquelin Castillo Santiago, Corinne Chimel, Madison Dyke, Daima Fermoselle, Alexis James, Angelica Montgomery, Alilexus Oswalt, Arisbeth Rosales

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.

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