Angelina College’s School of Health Careers recently held a traditional pinning ceremony for its newest vocational nursing program graduates, with a total of 40 students receiving their awards inside Temple Theater. Several of those students are from Polk County.
The new graduates from the Class of 2025 included students from the “traditional” vocational nursing program and from the Multi-Entry/Exit Program (MEEP).
Vocational nursing traditional students included Angelina Alvarez of Corrigan and Amber Lopez of Livingston. Multi-Entry/Exit Program (MEEP) students included Brianna Lee, Nikolas McNiel and Rachel Middleton, all of Livingston.
Dr. Winifred Ferguson-Adams, Dean of the School of Health Careers, recognized the wealth of experience joining her on the stage in the form of faculty and staff members.
“If you take all the years of nursing experience available here and add it together, you’re looking at hundreds of years,” Ferguson-Adams said. “And for you new nurses, I consider myself the gold standard for you. If I wouldn’t let you take care of me, I wouldn’t be sending you out to take care of others.”
Ferguson-Adams cited Florence Nightingale’s mantra as a reminder to the newest nurses that “we will do no harm” while welcoming the new graduates.
“You are entering an honorable and trusted profession as our newest colleagues,” Ferguson-Adams said. “Remember that you are an Angelina College nurse, and we are the best of the best.”
Joining the staff onstage was the Deep East Texas Nurse Honor Guard – a group of retired, active and student nurses.
For additional information regarding Angelina College Health Careers, email healthcareers@angelina.edu.
