Midland College Vocational Nursing program celebrates graduating classAugust 17, 2020

Midland College (MC) 2019-2020 Vocational Nursing students were pinned at a ceremony on Thursday evening, August 13, at 6:00 p.m. in the Davidson Family Health Science Building. The pinning ceremony is a tradition for nursing schools, marking the transition from nursing school to nursing practice. The ceremony included MC Vocational Nursing students who have been enrolled in Midland at the main MC campus and in Fort Stockton at Midland College’s branch campus, the Williams Regional Technical Training Center.

The nursing pin has a long and honorable history. The tradition of pinning began in 1860 when Florence Nightingale was awarded The Red Cross of St. George by Queen Victoria for her service in the Crimean War.  Nightingale shared this honor with her nursing school students by giving each graduate a badge. By 1916 the pinning ceremony became an established tradition of nursing schools.

MC August 2020 Vocational Nursing graduates from Midland are Jasmine Aguirre, Jaquez Anders, Nydia Arenivar, Ligaya Barnes, Alba Carrasco, Line Cheudjieu, Brenda Hernandez, Eboni Hill, Latoya McCowan, Shanta McMaryion, Lillian Patton, Amanda Quest, Nidia Romero, Marina Silva, Abigail Trevino, Laura Vigil, and Alexis Wilson.

MC August 2020 Vocational Nursing graduates from Fort Stockton are Ashley Bislar, Isiah Fabela, Taylor Franco, Denisse Fuentez, Monica Hurtado, Mireya Kannel, Lillian Rodriguez, Maritza Sanchez, and Herlinda Soto.

Students who received special awards are:

• Mireya Kannel – Achievement Award
• Denisse Fuentez – Florence Nightingale Award (Fort Stockton)
• Amanda Quest – Florence Nightingale Award (Midland)
• Maritza Sanchez – Outstanding Clinical Performance Award (Fort Stockton)
• Latoya McCowan – Outstanding Clinical Performance Award (Midland)

“Each of these students have worked hard over the past year,” MC Director of Vocational Nursing Brooke Foutch said. “To accomplish what they have done takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance. We are very proud of each and every one of them, and can’t wait to see what they do for the nursing community”