BCCC Practical Nursing Graduates Pinned In Ceremony On July 15 | Eastern NC Now

    Twenty-two graduates of Beaufort County Community College's Practical Nursing program received their nursing school pins on Wednesday, July 15, in a pinning ceremony, which is a traditional rite of passage for nursing school graduates across the country.

    The ceremony was held at First United Methodist Church before an audience of college administrators, faculty and staff, as well as family and friends of the graduates.

    In her faculty address, Aino Jackson, Practical Nursing Lead Instructor, encouraged the class members to continue to learn, to accept feedback, to ask questions and to utilize the resources around them.

    "You can make a positive difference in the healthcare field," she said.

    In student comments, Charity Watson, class secretary, thanked the graduates' instructors, staff and family members for their support. She said she and the other students have become very close during the 11-month program.

    "We have learned to depend on each other," she said. "We have learned that it's not just about the people you've known the longest, but those you meet who will go the distance with you."

    Pinning ceremonies in their currently recognizable form began in 1893. The pin is awarded to the nurse to recognize the achievement of entering the profession and to signify a nursing school graduate's affiliation with a specific nursing school.

    The graduates are now qualified to take the state licensure examination.

    They are Vanessa Armstrong, Breona Sáde Batts, Gail Mundine Burton, Virjeania Clagon, Kristy Garrish Clayton, LaQuisha Trechelle Dills, Laura Ashley Dunbar, Alexandria Jennette Gibbs, Sayra Beth Hopkins, Alexis Rakia Knight, Belinda Matthews, Jessica Lynne Mooney, Tuwanda Outlaw, Demeka Vines Parker, Audrey Dawn Ramirez, Jillian Katin Rombold, Paige Leigh Wallace, Charity Davie Watson, David Whichard, Sarah Wilson, Whitney Brooke Woolard and Ashley Brooke Zurface.

    The program's instructors presented three awards during the pinning ceremony. Sayra Hopkins received the Academic Performance Award; Belinda Matthews received the Clinical Performance Award; and Paige Leigh Wallace received the Leadership Award.

    For more information about the Practical Nursing program at BCCC, contact Aino Jackson at 252-940-6395 or visit the BCCC website at www.BeaufortCCC.edu.

    Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.