NOC Nursing graduates and faculty at the NOC Nurses Pinning Ceremony May 3 at NOC Tonkawa. (photo by Dina Kleinmann/Northern Oklahoma College).
NOC holds nurse pinning ceremony in Tonkawa
Ten Northern Oklahoma College Nursing Students received their nurses’ pins at a ceremony at NOC Tonkawa Friday evening in the 53rd Class of NOC Nursing.
Nursing students from the Stillwater, Enid, and Tonkawa campuses received their pins and cited the Florence Nightingale Pledge.
The guest speaker was Tammy Davis, Language Arts and Social Science Division Chair at Northern Oklahoma College.
Davis started her speech by referring to a graduating address that Steve Jobs (Apple/Pixar) gave in 2005.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards,” she said. “I think about that philosophy often and it plays true for me tonight.”
“When I was in second grade, I read my aunt a letter that said, you’re a registered nurse and I’d like to be one too,” she said. “She wrote me a lengthy letter about what she did as a registered nurse back in the 70’s. I still have that letter today though nursing was not my career choice, but nurses have never been far from my experiences and so it connects the dots to my experience.”
Davis gave a number of examples of how nursing connected the dots in her experience saying that student nurses attended the birth of her daughter, nurses comforted her family at the death of her grandmother, and provided care to her daughter when she was going through painful health issues at a young age.
Then, nursing came full circle when her daughter decided to be a nurse and went through the nursing program at NOC.
Nurses continued to connect the dots for the Davis’ family helping her husband, and two daughters through countless appointments and ER visits.
She added, “It is a privilege to be a nurse, to be present and supportive of patients and their families.”
She concluded by saying, “While your taking care of your patients, don’t forget to take care of yourselves. Don’t forget to connect those dots unly looking back.”
The graduates are: Tristan Byers, Jessica Waller, Kendall Chmielewski, Ilyssia Gonzales, Chris Nace, Madison Solis, Cerena Jade Warfield, CC Valansia, Cody Birchfield, Truenai Bonnie Dunn
NOC Nursing Division Chair Dr. Nikole Hicks congratulated each member of the graduating class “who have faced obstacles and have bravely continued on to achieve their goals. They exemplify the NOC Nursing values of excellence, integrity, impactful relationships, compassionate service, and resourcefulness.”
Hicks advised the graduates to “continue to pursue your goals use your life changing experience at NOC impact those with whom you will have contact over the course of your careers.”
Nursing Awards
Spirit of Nursing Award (Student) – CC Valansia, Chris Nace
Spirit of Nursing Award (Faculty) Alexandria Baumann
Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society – Cody Birchfield, Kendall Chmielewski, Truenai Dunn, Chris Nace, CC Valansia, Jessica Waller
Student Nurses Association Members – Truenai Dunn, Chris Nace, Madison Solis
Student Nurses Association Officers – Cody Birchfield, Kendall Chmielewski, Ilyssia Gonzales, CC Valansia, Cerena Warfield
Exceptional Preceptor Awards – Lindsay Newton, Stillwater Medical Center
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators – Rachel Kroemer
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.
NOC serves nearly 4,000 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater. Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing.
For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu.
-30-