In a ceremony held Thursday, Dec. 14, at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute honored the Practical Nursing Class of 2023 with an official pinning and traditional lamp lighting ceremony. Thirty-three students made up the class of 2023 and now face state board testing to receive their licensure as practical nurses. Graduates of the one-year program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), which is required for practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
The ceremony included a welcome by CCC&TI Dean of Health Sciences Melissa Smith and a keynote address by Denise Barnhouse, whose career has included both education and active service as a nurse in various healthcare settings. Barnhouse encouraged graduates to stay abreast of changes in the healthcare field while also maintaining the empathy and compassion needed for true quality care.
Also during the ceremony, three students were recognized as recipients of the Practical Nursing Program Faculty Award. Graduates Sarah Bledsoe, Savannah Smith and Taylor Osborne were all recognized for their academic achievement and leadership throughout the one-year program. This year’s faculty awards were given in honor of Practical Nursing Program alumnus Tatum Logan. Logan was a stand-out graduate from the program in 2021 who’s nursing career was cut short by a car accident later that same year. Logan was on hand at the ceremony to present the awards to this year’s recipients.
To close the ceremony, students lit a ceremonial lamp, symbolic of the lamp carried by Florence Nightingale during her service to the British soldiers who fought in the Crimean War. Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing. Graduates also recited “The Florence Nightingale Pledge” in which they vow to uphold the standards of their profession and provide the best possible care for patients.
Pictured are the 2023 graduates of CCC&TI’s Practical Nursing Education Program. Graduates were recognized and honored with an official pinning and traditional lamp lighting ceremony held on Thursday, Dec. 14, at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. Thirty-three students made up the class of 2023 and now face state board testing to receive their licensure as practical nurses.
Following are the members of the CCC&TI Practical Nursing Class of 2023:
Rebecca Anderson
Abbegail Bledsoe
Sarah Bledsoe
Carson Brooks
Katrina Chapman
Brandy Cheek
Haley Church
Jessi Combs
Alyssa Gibson
Luther Giere
Ashley Gray
Tiffany Hall
Autumn Huffman
Tiffany Inch
Trena Kee
Madison Keen
Haley Lail
Brooke Ledbetter
Margarita Lemus Rangel
Leslie Leonard
Lanette McGalliard
Kristina Miller
Brooke Minton
Taylor Osborne
Courtney Pennell
Daniel Pina-Vasquez
Jeremy Rhodes
Makayla Roark
Kimberly Rodriguez
Savannah Smith
Brittany Sollenberger
Jamie Stevenson
Liz Warner
For more information on CCC&TI’s Practical Nursing Program, visit www.cccti.edu or call 828-726-2200 (Caldwell) or 828-297-3811 (Watauga).