On the evening of May 10, 2013, we held the pinning ceremony for the 56 students who are graduating this May from Marian University's Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. The historical nursing pinning ceremony dates back to the 1850s, when Florence Nightingale was awarded a medal of the Red Cross of St. George from Queen Victoria for her selfless service of caring for soldiers in the Crimean War.
The nursing pinning ceremony symbolizes the outstanding accomplishments of nursing students, and the nursing pin identifies the student as a new member to the healthcare community. Our ceremony is planned by a committee of students who work in coordination with me to make the event unique to each class. This semester’s ceremony took place in the Marian University Theatre at the main campus, and our students packed the house with their friends and family.
Along with the presentation of the pins, several student awards were presented, including:
- Clinical Expertise Award - given to Kimberly Shelly for demonstrating excellence in her clinical rotations at the hospital
- Margaret McDermott Special Recognition Award - given to Jonathan Redmon for outstanding, significant growth in performance and aptitude
- Nightingale Society Award - given to William Birch based on a faculty recommendation for his exceptional research project
- Student Mentor Award - given to Rachel Munshower-Fox, chosen by her fellow students
- Franciscan Award - given to Jeff Wendling for demonstrating the four Franciscan values in various ways within the program
The student-nominated class speaker, Jeff Wendling, offered inspiring words during his speech.
We are so excited for and proud of these students and wish them the best of luck!