Rio Celebrates 34th Nurse Pinning

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The University of Rio Grande and its Holzer School of Nursing celebrated its Class of 2015 with its annual Pinning Ceremony on Friday, May 1 in the Berry Fine & Performing Arts Center.

The evening marked the 34th annual pinning for the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Technology Degree Program with 55 graduates honored. Another 13 graduates graced the stage for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Program, which celebrated its 19th annual pinning.

“This is truly a wonderful night,” said School of Nursing Director and Dean to the College of Health & Behavior Sciences Donna Mitchell, Ph.D. “What does graduation mean to those who are here on this stage? It means a new beginning, a realization of your dreams and an outstanding accomplishment. Those who are here have sacrificed a lot to earn the right to be here.”

Rio Grande Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Richard Sax, Ph.D., also praised the graduates for their accomplishment, and offered encouragement toward their future success.

“These degrees are a ticket to change the world,” Sax said. “And you will change the world.”

The annual pinning ceremony is rich with traditions and dates back to the 1860s and Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. After receiving the pins, a lamp is lit to symbolize the care and devotion nurses administer to the sick and injured. The flame is passed from nurse to nurse, who then take the nursing pledge.

Before the formal pinning, three graduates spoke to represent the Class of 2015. Sean Riley, R.N., B.S.N., represented the baccalaureate program. Cheryl Kerr and Hazeline Yalung associate program.

“Everyone here tonight can agree on one thing, nursing school is hard. It can grind you mentally, physically, emotionally and maybe even financially,” Kerr said. “Everyone up here tonight has faced these challenges and won. We won. We’re graduating. This is a huge accomplishment and every single one of us has a lot to be proud of.”

Each of the speakers also echoed the fact there weren’t alone. They thanked friends and family for their variety of sacrifices along the journey, and each thanked the faculty and staff of Rio’s Holzer School of Nursing.

“Thank you to all our wonderful professors for all the advice and consistent support present throughout the program,” Riley said. “Without you, we would not be standing here before you as proud graduates.”

But the journey is far from over, as each of the 68 nursing graduates are now key components in one of the largest, and growing, economic sectors in the country.

“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics … Nursing is listed among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2022,” Mitchell said. “The total number of job openings for nurses due to growth and replacements (is projected to be) 1.05 million by 2022. So the job opportunities are going to be vast, and this shows the bright future ahead of these graduates.”

For more information about the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College visit rio.edu or call 800-282-7201.