The spring 2018 Nursing Pinning Ceremony was held Friday, May 11, at Newman University. A total of 26 candidates were recognized for achieving their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
The traditional event dates back more than 130 years in the United States. At Newman, the director of nursing places nursing pins on graduating candidates’ lapels as a symbol of completing the BSN program. The Newman pin is unique to the university and was designed by the first graduating BSN class at what was then Kansas Newman College.
The ceremony included a welcome from Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D., remarks by Newman Provost Kimberly Long, Ph.D., and Director of Nursing Teresa Vetter, M.S.N. and a blessing of the pins by Newman Chaplain Father John Fogliasso.
“The nursing students who will be pinned today are the living legacies of Saint Maria De Mattias,” said Long. “Her example pushes us and these students to reach out to the underserved. These graduates have dedicated their lives to academic excellence and serving others.”
She also shared a story about the importance of the human kindness, interaction and persistence that a nurse must bestow upon their patients every single day.
The ceremony concluded with the naming of the Distinguished BSN Graduate Award, which is given to a graduating nursing student who has a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and demonstrates an exceptional commitment to the nursing profession and involvement in the Newman and greater Wichita communities. Thao Le was honored with the spring 2018 award.
Le was in pre-pharmacy school at Wichita State University while doing volunteer work with the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC). While in school, Le eventually began to realize that she wanted more one-on-one time with her patients rather than to spend her career behind a counter. She decided she wanted to attend nursing school.
“The ASC spoke so highly of Newman and I wanted to demonstrate their same values, things like service and generosity, and I knew I could find that here at Newman,” Le said.
Le has accepted a job working in the coronary intensive care unit at Via Christi St Francis. In the future, Le plans to attend graduate school at Newman University.
The Newman University BSN candidates for spring 2018 are:
Augusta, Kansas
*Kelli Johnson
Clearwater, Kansas
Krista Mellen
Conway Springs, Kansas
Addison May
Derby, Kansas
*Kate Redford
Darrian Utsler
Lauren Young
Douglass, Kansas
*Emily Nahr
Garden City, Kansas
Audrey Gerber
Garden Plain, Kansas
Jayne Nowak
Goddard, Kansas
Laura Petersburg
*Miranda Terry
Haysville, Kansas
Krista Luna
Lebo, Kansas
*Shelby Holmes
Mulvane, Kansas
Kasandra Melick
Ashley Wilson
Wichita, Kansas
*Alexa Cox
Celina Jimenez
Megan Ketzner
*Thao Le
Christopher Montgomery
Thy Nguyen
Jasmin Rocha
Alyssa Yergeau
Bronx, New York
Christine Smith
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Jamie Sissell
Coppell, Texas
Sarah Peterson
* Denotes Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society inductee
