LA PLATA — The College of Southern Maryland held its Nursing Recognition Ceremony on May 14 to honor 45 graduates as they enter the nursing profession.
Caroline Combs, dean of the School of Health Sciences, opened the event by recognizing the challenges the graduates had overcome. “You have faced rigorous demands of nursing education with courage and perseverance,” Combs said. “Through long nights of studying, countless clinical hours, and moments of doubt and triumph, you have proven yourself worthy of the noble call to serve as nurses.”
The pinning tradition began with Florence Nightingale, who received the Royal Red Cross for her work during the Crimean War. That recognition led to the practice of presenting a badge of excellence to graduates of the Nightingale School of Nursing. By the early 1900s, pinning ceremonies had become common in the United States and England. Each nursing program designs its own pin to represent achievement and institutional tradition.
CSM’s nursing program began in 1979 as the Associate Degree in Nursing Program at Charles County Community College. The first class received pins in 1981, establishing the ceremony as an annual event.
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson noted the program’s history of preparing nurses for the workforce. “Nursing demands a great deal from those who enter the profession,” Wilson said. “Throughout this program, you’ve demonstrated your ability to meet that challenge. Now you stand ready and prepared for the next step.”
The graduating class selected the theme “Rooted in Knowledge, Growing in Care.” Guest speakers Dr. Laura Behm and Dr. Lea Lacefield, both CSM alumnae and nurse practitioners who founded the local organization Milky Moms, spoke about perseverance and continued learning. Lacefield said growth often occurs in difficult moments. “Growth rarely comes from the moments where everything feels easy,” she said. “Growth happens in the uncomfortable moments, the moments where you have to regroup, ask questions, accept feedback, and keep going.”
Behm encouraged graduates to view the pinning as the start of ongoing development. “Nursing is not a profession where you ever truly stop learning,” she said. “The knowledge you gain in school becomes your roots, but what you build from there is where the possibilities begin.”
Graduate Dylan Restrepo delivered class reflections. He urged classmates to carry forward the lessons from their training. “Nursing isn’t just the job we do, it’s a reflection of the traits we have and the kind of people we are,” Restrepo said. “None of us could guarantee this day would come, only that we would work our absolute hardest to make it happen. Because of that, we grew into the kind of people others can trust and respect with their care. We are all united in our willingness to grow.”
Nursing professor Robin Young, who retired after more than 30 years at CSM, delivered closing remarks. She advised graduates to continue learning and apply the foundation built at the college. “What makes nursing extraordinary is how that knowledge grows into care,” Young said. “Growth is not always easy. It requires patience, humility, and a willingness to keep learning. It’s your ability to grow and care that will define the kind of nurse you become.”
The ceremony took place at the college’s La Plata campus. CSM serves students from Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. Its nursing program prepares graduates for entry-level registered nurse positions in regional healthcare facilities.
