In a moving ceremony at the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) La Plata Campus, 45 nursing students celebrated their transition from students to professional healers. The Winter 2024 cohort, under the theme “Embracing the Journey: From Students to Healers,” participated in the traditional pinning ceremony, marking their official welcome into the nursing profession by CSM faculty.
Annette Ragland, CSM Nursing Professor and mistress of ceremonies, opened the event by praising the students’ resilience and hard work. The pinning ceremony, a practice dating back to the 1860s initiated by Florence Nightingale, symbolizes the dedication and excellence of nursing graduates. Nightingale, known for her service during the Crimean War, began the tradition by awarding medals to her most distinguished graduates, a custom that has since become a standard rite of passage for nursing graduates across the United States.
Dr. Karen Wyche Latham, Vice President, and Chief Nursing Officer at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, served as the featured speaker. With over three decades of experience in nursing, Latham shared a personal story about finding her “why” in nursing when her father was diagnosed with lung cancer. She emphasized the importance of understanding one’s motivation for entering the nursing field, stating, “That solidified my ‘why’ and nursing was no longer my career, it became my purpose and my passion.”
Student representative Joanne Perez spoke on behalf of the cohort, urging her classmates to reflect on the challenges they overcame during their education. “Today’s occasion calls for celebration; we take the pain, the hurt, the frustration and turn it into empathy, courage, and empowerment,” Perez remarked, highlighting the transformative journey of becoming a nurse.
Dr. Sara Cano, Nursing Program Chair, provided closing remarks focusing on the healing aspect of nursing. Cano described healing as a fundamental nursing component involving caring relationships and the integration of body, mind, and spirit. She outlined four essential characteristics for becoming an effective healer: competency, compassion, wisdom, and self-cultivation.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of nursing pins to the graduates, which signifies their readiness to embark on their careers as healers. The graduates, announced by CSM Professor Dr. Eden Kan, were celebrated for their achievements and encouraged to continue developing their skills and compassion as they enter nursing.
This momentous event marked the end of the graduates’ academic journey at CSM and the beginning of their promising careers in healthcare, where they will undoubtedly make significant contributions to the well-being of their patients and communities.
CSM Professor Dr. Eden Kan presented the candidates. Students who proudly received their pins Jan. 11, 2024 from faculty pinners Cano, Professors Morag Dahlstrom, Lisa Gonzales, Linda Hamel, Lauren Guy, Deborah Rutledge, and Robin Madera were:
- Holly Acuña
- Stephanie Allers
- Regina Ampiaw
- Darian Anderson
- Honorine Badolo
- Danielle Beaver
- Katie Childers
- Teea L. Clark
- Tabitha Crocker
- Paige Curtis
- Emmah Dahlberg
- Carlie Dahlstedt-Henderson
- Asia Reeé Davis
- Samantha Delair “Academic Achievement in Nursing” Award Winner
- Ramanda Desrameaux
- Abigail Dodato
- Gianni Estrada
- Oluwafunmilola Gabriel
- Morgan Gilliam
- Elizabeth Kent
- Krystal Lange
- Sumiyati Lie
- Emily McCrossa
- Olivia McKenzie
- Gabrielle Nelson
- Bernice Ngere “Achievement in Nursing” Award Winner
- Emily Nolen
- Joanne Perez
- Marjorie Renea Plaudis
- Samantha Romba
- Jill Shade
- Ashley Shrawder
- Kaitlyn Smith
- Brooklen MaKayla Stewart
- Brianna Stream
- Victoria Tate
- Kelsey Thompson
- Natalie Joan Thompson
- Brianna Threewitts
- Susan Ulloa
- Brittany Ashton Watson
- Amari Weems
- Shellayne Whalen
- Sarah Williams
- Vanessa Pearl Wingfield
