Edison nursing graduates receive pins

Guest speaker Matthew Morgan speaks to recent nursing graduates during a pinning ceremony held in their honor.

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PIQUA — Edison State Community College honored 27 recent nursing graduates on May 17 with a pinning ceremony held in a gymnasium filled with family and friends.

The pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition in which the graduate nurse is presented to family and friends as a professional who is about to practice nursing. The graduate is usually pinned by the faculty members who have worked with them throughout their studies. Each school has a unique pin, which serves as a symbol of the successful completion of a rigorous curriculum that prepares graduates to administer to the sick and injured and promote health through the practice of nursing.

"I express my utmost pride in the accomplishments of the nursing graduates," said Dr. Melissa Wertz, Edison State Provost. "Nursing is a noble calling that requires intelligence, dedication, and compassion. Each of you embodies these qualities. Today, we come together to recognize and celebrate your accomplishments."

Guest speaker Matthew Morgan, MSN, APRN-BC, is an Edison State nursing alumnus who has experience working in all of the major hospital systems in the region. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati.

"Tonight, we focus on celebrating your hard work, your sacrifice, and all that's happened over your time here," Morgan said. "As you come to the best days in your nursing career, I want to challenge you to see the power of your role. I want to encourage you to make a difference and provide excellent care to all of your patients."

The ceremony also included remarks from class representatives Abilene Couch and Hunter Dues.

"I want to start off by saying thank you," said Couch. "We never would have made it without the love and support of our families, friends, and classmates."

Dues added, "I’d like to say congratulations to the newest graduates of the nursing program at Edison State. It wasn't easy to get to this point, but I have no doubt that we will all make great nurses."

Following the successful completion of the nursing program, graduates will prepare to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become Registered Nurses (RNs).

Edison State's nursing program has maintained full accreditation and approval throughout its history. In 2018, the Ohio Board of Nursing granted Edison State's Associate of Nursing degree program a full five-year approval. In 2019, the program earned an eight-year continued accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the highest level a program can receive.

Applications for Edison State's Registered Nursing program will be accepted from June 15 to July 31, 2023, for the spring 2024 semester. For more information about the program, visit www.edisonohio.edu/programs.

Edison State is proud to recognize the following nursing graduates:

Shannon Abner, Germantown; Catherine Brush, Tipp City; Alexus Bumgardner, Dayton; Madyson Burrowes, Tipp City; Hailey Cloud, Fairborn; Abilene Couch, Troy; Debera Council, Urbana; Delane Dieringer, Troy; Hunter Dues, Minster; Nicki Flesher, Sidney; Alaina Frantz, Bradford; Tyler Gates, Troy; Kendall Green, Englewood; Tyler Gunnerman, Sidney; Crystal Hammaker, Covington; Billy Johnston, Englewood; Erika McNally, Union City; Tiffany Miller, Greenville; Danielle New, Sidney; Sarah Officer, West Milton; Brittany Palmer, Troy; Jennifer Patterson, Dayton; Kaitlyn Rohrbach, Troy; Mitchell Uselton, Springfield; Lindsay Vachon, Rossburg; Rochelle Welbaum, Ansonia; and Amber Wilt, Anna.