Angelina College’s School of Health Careers recently held a traditional pinning ceremony recognizing the newest graduates of the Associate’s Degree Nursing program. The Class of 2026 group included 50 students receiving their pins from faculty, friends and family members – including four students from Polk County.
The local graduates of the Class of 2026 include Yessica Damian, Nikolas McNiel, Rachel Middleton and Andrea Vazquez, all of Livingston.
Students earning individual awards included Mark Bagonoc (Highest GPA), Harley Husband (Best Overall Student) and Josalyn Urbina (Best Clinical Student).
Dr. Winifred Ferguson-Adams, Dean of the School of Health Careers, shared notes from Florence Nightingale written 166 years ago regarding “what nursing is, and what it is not.”
“She wrote about having fresh air, clean water, sanitation, but she also talked about the importance of the patient and the importance of the nurse observing, caring for and listening to the patient,” Ferguson-Adams said. “Don’t ever forget to be present for your patient. You may have a million other things to do, but when you’re with that one patient, be present for them and give them the best of your time you can possibly give.”
AC president Dr. Michael Simon also addressed the crowd, speaking of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. and how approximately 90% of those women served as nurses.
“I want to emphasize that women were not drafted during the Vietnam War,” Simon said. “Those women volunteered to go into harm’s way to serve their country and their fellow service members.”
Simon also shared how the memorial’s sculptor, Glenna Goodacre, also created the sculpture dedicated to the Rotary International Group to Eradicate Polio currently exhibited on the Angelina College campus. Simon related how Goodacre chronicled when those nurses returned from Vietnam, they found themselves “unheralded, unwanted and unwelcome.
“I wanted to share her story because as nurses, from time to time you may feel unheralded,” Simon said. “There may be people in your life who question your choice of profession. As you advocate for your patient, you may feel unsupported and even attacked. There will definitely be challenging shifts and difficult patients.
“When you’re experiencing difficulty in your practice, I encourage you to remember those courageous nurses who preceded you in the profession and know that although doing the right thing can be difficult, it is a hallmark of the nursing profession.”
For further information regarding Angelina College Health Careers, email healthcareers@angelina.edu.
