Practical Nursing Graduates Honored in Pinning Ceremony

AVON PARK, Fla. – Aug. 9, 2022 – South Florida State College (SFSC) graduated 22 Practical Nursing (PN) program students in a traditional pinning ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 4 in the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the Highlands Campus at SFSC in Avon Park.

The graduates are Ericka Borders, Dianna Botello, Lakiera Brown, Eliasar Cleto, Erika Coggins, Tara Deeson, Cameron Eason, Olivia Guerndt, Destini Henry, Najey Jones, Jamee Keller, Christian Lashley, Carlos Martinez Jr., Cristal Miranda, Elizabeth Poe, Ricky Rodriguez, Lillian Salazar, Craciela Silvan-Macedo, Katherine Skipper, Brooklyn Sneed, Angelin Stephen, and Bethany Young.

In a tearful farewell address to fellow graduates, 2022 Class President Tara Deesen related the devastation of failing to complete the Associate in Science in Nursing (ADN) program at SFSC in 2021. However, she related that she was given a second chance to prove herself when it was suggested she enter the College’s PN program.

“I stand before you tonight … because when failure stood at my door, the desire for my goal was stronger than my grief,” Deesen said. “When running for president among my classmates, I let them know that attaining this status was not only to prove to myself that it was possible, but to be a leader for them as someone who has failed but did not give up on chasing the goal.

“I commend and applaud every one of you who has dedicated yourself to this Nursing program, community, and this profession. I hope to have lifted the burden of expectations from someone’s shoulders by sharing my story, because it’s not about how old or young you are, how long it takes you, where you came from, how many times you failed, or even if someone doesn’t think you’re good enough for the job. It’s about how many times you get back up and keep pushing for those goals and not let failures get in your way. I sincerely pray for our successes as we venture on for further education, specialty certifications, and for God to keep his eyes upon our hands as we care for those in need. I charge all of you to fervently seek advocacy for your dreams to become a reality. Because those dreams are obtainable. Always remember, a life lived chasing your dreams is a life worth living.”

Each year, PN graduates award the Golden Duck to someone who has served as a mentor to the students in the program. The D.U.C.K. acronym represents the foundational elements of the mentoring arrangement: Developing, Understanding, Compassion, and Knowledge. During the ceremony, graduate Destini Henry presented the 2022 Golden Duck Award to Cori Whitehouse, clinical instructor with AdventHealth Sebring. “She effortlessly served as a Nursing mentor during clinical rotations at AdventHealth and has inspired many of our students to continue in our educational aspirations and begin a Nursing career at AdventHealth,” Henry said.

The practice of pinning new graduates has been a nursing school tradition in the United States since 1916 and, symbolically, welcomes each graduate into the nursing profession. The pin is worn prominently on a nurse’s uniform throughout their career. One story of the ceremony’s beginning goes back to 1883, when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale the Royal Red Cross on St. George’s Day for her service to the sick and injured during the Crimean War. In turn, Nightingale later extended the honor to her outstanding nursing students by presenting them with a medal of excellence.

Graduates of the 11-month career certificate PN program become licensed practical nurses by passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) exam. SFSC nursing graduates are usually fully employed in Nursing within a few months of graduation.

SFSC offers an Associate in Science degree in Nursing (ADN) program for students interested in becoming registered nurses in three formats: a two-year Generic-RN program, a two-year Evening/Weekend RN program, and a one-year Transition-LPN to RN program. The College also offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

For information about SFSC’s Nursing programs, contact Danielle Ochoa, Health Sciences advisor at 863-784-7027 or by email at healthsciences@southflorida.edu.