In a recent ceremony held at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute honored the largest class of associate degree nursing graduates in program history. An official pinning and traditional lamp lighting ceremony was held in May to celebrate the 78 graduates who successfully completed the program.
Guest speaker for the ceremony, Amanda Franklin, Director of Quality, Patient Safety and Patient Experience for the UNC-Appalachian Healthcare System, worked with many of the students during their clinical rotations, shared the meaning behind the traditional nurse pinning ceremony. “The nursing pinning ceremony is one of the most meaningful traditions in our profession. Long before diplomas and stages, nurses were welcomed into this calling by the placing of a pin, a quiet, powerful symbol, passed from one generation to the next,” said Franklin. Franklin shared that the pin represents the knowledge and skills required for success, as well as the responsibility that comes with caring for human beings in their most vulnerable moments and the trust of the patients and families that they will interact with as healthcare professionals.
Franklin also praised students for their success in their studies and clinical rotations and congratulated them on earning their degrees. “You chose a hard path… but you’ve learned that nursing is not only what you do with your hands, but what you carry in your heart… and today you step across a line; as of this moment, you are no longer student nurses, you are nurses. Congratulations and welcome to this extraordinary profession!”
Graduates who served as class officers were recognized during the ceremony and included President Holly Thorpe, Vice-President Anna Pendun, Secretary Evelyn Powers, Treasurer Isabella Cooper and Historians Steven Clark and Autumn Bentley.
Treasurer Isabella Cooper also announced that the members of the class made a special donation to UNC Health-Appalachian’s Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center in honor of the Nursing faculty and instructors who helped them reach their goals of graduating. “This gift is more than a donation, it is a way to honor the dedication, kindness and impact that our teachers had on each of us. Just as they have invested in our growth and wellbeing, this is our way of giving back in their name to support patients, and families facing cancer,” said Cooper. “We hope this donation, helps provide comfort, care and hope to those going through one of the hardest battles of their lives, and in doing so, we carry forward the same spirit of compassion that our teachers gave to us. Thank you for taking the time to teach the next generation of nurses.”
Each graduate was pinned by a member of CCC&TI’s Nursing Faculty signifying an official welcome into the profession, followed by the ceremonial lamp lighting and reciting of the Nightingale Pledge which is a time-honored tradition paying tribute to Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing.
The graduates of the program now face state board testing which is required for licensure as registered nurses. The standardized National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) ensures that graduates are safe and competent to practice as Registered Nurses in the United States and Canada.
Following are the members of CCC&TI’s Nursing Class of 2026:
2026 Traditional Associate Degree
Nursing Graduates:
Tiffany Adkins
Kassandra Aguilera-Razo
Silas Barry
Autumn Bentley
Katlyn Branton
Abigail Brooks
Steven Clark
Isabella Cooper
Gabrielle Greene
Caroline Hatfield
April Hawkins
Heather Howell
Van Hubbard
Dana Hudson
Nicole Kushner
Hannah McCracken
Kyndal Merrill
Vera Miller
Cassidie Moyer
Corin Muscarelli
Madelyn Norris
Anna Perdun
Maddison Powell
Evelyn Powers
Amy Rice
Hannah Stanbery
Holly Thorpe
Mallory Vandermark
Shee Vang
Amy Walker
Olivia Wilson
Ally Wright
2026 LPN-ADN
Transition Graduates:
Anita Anderson
Yudali Baer
Michelle Bartlett
Megan Bass
Sarah Bonds
Atisha Carrillo
Alyssa Clark
Kelly Cook
Mykala Cook
Holly Dallman
Jasmine Dodero
Sydney Epps
Cassidy Ford
Vanessa Fortin
Daliyah Foster
Tami Goudy
Brynn Graff
April Grant
Seanna Hampton
Casey Hatley
Tanner Hollars
Khaley Holman
Amy Hooks
Jennifer Hopper
Shekia Ikard
Tiffany Inch
Guadalupe Jaramillo Lopez
Adriane Lash
Donna Lindsey
Ashle Marroquin
Aurora Matthews
Lola McElreath
Dana Miller
Darlene Moore
Leonora Natal
Jordan Robinson
Kimberly Rodriguez
Abbey Setzer
Tabitha Shumate
Courtney Smith
Savannah Smith
Alison Swaim
Rebecca Townsend
Roseanna Vance
Tiffany Vidrine
Reagan Wheeling
Nkao Ia Xiong
For more information on CCC&TI’s associate degree, nursing program, other programs of study, and information on enrollment, financial aid and more, visit www.cccti.edu.