Graduation season at Washtenaw Community College kicked off Thursday when friends and family packed Towsley Auditorium to celebrate the Winter 2023 graduates of the WCC nursing program on Thursday.
The 66-member graduating class took one step closer to joining the profession during a Graduate Pinning Ceremony, a time-honored tradition dating back to the 1880s that represents an initiation into the profess.
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Up next for the group is passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a licensed Registered Nurse.
This graduating cohort was celebrated for its diversity, including 10 male students, the most in program history.
The cohort also had 17 members inducted into the Organization of Associate Degree Nursing Honor Society, one of the largest groups in program history. Membership requires a faculty recommendation, maintenance of high GPA and completion of a capstone project.
Faculty also noted that the class exceled philanthropically by donating a program record amount of student scrubs and lab equipment back to future students in the department.
WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca, Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Shari Lambert and faculty member Alisha Noel each addressed the graduating class and faculty member Dr. Marva Brooks served as Mistress of Ceremonies. Nathan Hovater and Lacey Lobdell were selected by their classmates to present graduate addresses.
Members of the Winter 2023 graduating class include (in alphabetic order):
- Caitlyn Aceves
- Kathleen Alexander**
- Zeinab Alsheemary
- Lueji Alves Sardinha
- Chinonye Bob-Iwe
- Nicole Brown
- Jessica Buehler**
- Eric Burdick**
- Lindsey Burton
- Samantha Caird
- Bryce Colf
- Ana Carolina De Carvalho Ferreira Andrade**
- Kirsten Dionne**
- Kristin Duffany**
- Alexandra Filimon**
- Jordan Fosdick
- Carmela Foster-Witherspoon**
- Stephanie Frierson
- Nicole Fulton
- Robert Garcia*
- Kelly Greene
- Megan Hanewald**
- Aubrey Heffron
- Chelsey Hileman
- Stephanie Hill
- Nathan Hovater
- Tyler Howard
- Justin Hunt
- Rebecca Jaworski
- Demetrius Jenkins*
- Hui Jiang
- Kristin Kerch
- Madeeha Khalill**
- Cher Kosek**
- Amanda Lane
- Tami. Latham
- Jazmine Lee
- Aubrey Leppek
- Jianing Li
- June Li*
- Lacey Lobdell**^
- Cassandra Meyer
- Madison Meyer
- DaPrisha Miller
- Adela Myles
- Luke Oskvarek
- Racquel Parker
- Jen Patel
- Jacob Pollczynski
- Teresa Porter**
- Marta Purica-De-Decan
- Carole Ramm
- Brittany Rose
- Catherine Samu
- Rebecca Shuh**
- Ladious Smith
- Nicole Smith
- Hannah Straub
- Danielle Sykes
- Jose Terraza Cruz
- Madison Uden**
- Melissa Wheeker
- Cassandra Williams
- Brittne' Wilson* **
- Laura Woodside
- Zachary Worcheck
* - Members of Advancing Men in Nursing
** - Members of the Organization of Associate Degree Nursing Honor Society, HX Chapter
^ - Member of the National Student Nurses Association
Tags: Class of 2023, Graduation, Men in Nursing, Nursing, Pinning Ceremony, Student Success