DUBLIN, NC –On Tuesday, July 19, Bladen Community College’s Practical Nursing (PN) graduates gathered in the college’s main auditorium to celebrate their accomplishments at the annual PN pinning ceremony with family, friends, and community members. The event is a traditional rite of passage that each nursing student completes before graduating and entering their profession, but this year’s ceremony was even more special. Thanks to generous donations from Bladen We Care and the Nightingale Lamp of Knowledge Fund, the pinning ceremony was a wonderful reminder of how collaboration helps our students and our community.
Several students graduating from the PN program were recipients of the Bladen We Care Endowed Scholarship—an annual scholarship that is awarded to students enrolled in Nursing and Allied Health programs that will continue to work in Bladen County after graduation. Bladen We Care is a community-based organization that is dedicated to providing health care for patients in need in Bladen County, but they also recognize the importance of strengthening the nursing community. These scholarships are vital to attract, educate, and retain talented nurses with exceptional expertise in our community.
Because of donations made to the newly established Nightingale Lamp of Knowledge Fund, graduates were gifted a Nightingale Lamp for the first time. “The nursing program’s potential for impact on the health of our community is vast, and our donors have recognized that potential through these remarkable gifts,” said Sondra Guyton, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Community Relations. “Their support will help to address Bladen County’s pressing need for health care professionals and allow recipients to forge meaningful careers in nursing, transforming their own lives. We’re very grateful for these generous gifts.”
During the ceremony, each student received a pin and lit a small lamp. The pin reminds students of their purpose to serve the sick and infirmed. The lighting portion of the ceremony serves as a tribute to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern-day nursing. Nightingale was known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” tending to the sick while carrying a lamp to light the way. At the ceremony, students also recite the Nightingale pledge stating their dedication to upholding the standards of being a nurse.
Bladen Community College President Dr. Amanda Lee spoke highly of the nursing profession and recognized the hard work of the students and nursing faculty. “Nurses are some of the most caring and hardworking people I’ve ever known,” she said. “We see the importance of your work every day. Your pinning is a symbol of your hard work, your sacrifices, those who supported you, and your dedication.”
2022 BCC Practical Nursing Graduates:
· Arely Alonzo Ortiz
· Tierra Bell
· Destiny Burns
· Marissa Gonzalez
· Jualonda Gueye
· Caleb Jackson
· Dorothy Jones
· Meredith Jordan
· Asmanda Lacewell
· Heather Murray
· Dalia Parson
· Qua’dajah Patterson
· Orvia Pridgen
· Felecia Smith
· Amanda Valley
· Rebecca Willoughby
· Jazmyne Wilson
Dr. Michelle Norris, Director of Nursing and Allied Health, recognized several students for exceptional achievement during their time in the nursing program. Those awards and their recipients are as follows: Dorothy Jones received the Professional Nursing Award, Dalia Parson and Marissa Gonzalez received the Outstanding Graduate Nurse, and Amanda Valley received the Florence Nightingale Award.
For more information about Bladen Community College’s nursing programs, visit bladencc.edu or contact the BCC Advising Center at (910) 879-5584