MAYHEW — Forty-five graduates of East Mississippi Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program participated in a pinning ceremony Thursday, Dec. 7, in the Lyceum Auditorium on the college’s Golden Triangle campus.
The Associate Degree Nursing graduating class is believed to be EMCC’s largest to date. The number of Associate Degree Nursing students doubled in March with the addition of a second cohort of students. In August, those students merged with the ADN cohort that began in January to form the graduating class.
“There is a shortage of nurses, and we are excited to be able to help address that problem locally by expanding our Associate Degree Nursing program,” EMCC Director of Nursing Programs/Associate Dean of Health Sciences Jamonicia Johnson said.
Associate Degree Nursing faculty presented several awards to students, with the highest honor going to Hartley Files who garnered the Florence Nightingale Award, which is presented to the student who most embodies the spirit of nursing.
Tyra Blevins was presented with a Scholastic Achievement Award and a Clinical Excellence Award. Other Clinical Excellence Award winners are McKensie Ellis, Lexi Wittke, Chelsea Berry, McKinley Graham and Devean Turner.
The class of 2023 Association Degree Nursing graduates are: Abigail Falkner Ables of West Point; Jameika K. Agnew of Holly Springs; Shaelie Mae Aumada of Eagle River, Alaska; Evelyn Monee’ Bell of West Point; Lauren Bell of Starkville; Andrea Bishop of Columbus; Tyra Blevins of Columbus; Chelsea Marie Caldwell of Grenada; MichaelAnn Chandler of Woodland; Katherine Bain Davis of Starkville; Mattie Chante’ Edwards of West Point; Morgan McKenzie Edwards of Ackerman; McKenzie Danyell Ellis of Columbus; Hartley Files of Mathiston; Marsha Friesen of Macon; Margaret Anne Gall of West Point; McKinley Graham of Madison; Kaitlyn Alise Gray of Columbus; Mya Suzanne Guyness of Columbus; Miller Hancock of Starkville; Nakiejah S Hickman of Yazoo City; Tia Arlesia Hunt; Tailer "Lindsey" Johnson of Steens; Anazjai Brykelle Jones of Gallman; Kia L. Jones of Columbus; Melanie Crystina Jones of Amory; Shelby Kugel of Columbus; Crimson Lea Lanthrip of Huntsville, Alabama; Daria Anna Latham of Steens; Blair RaeAnn Lathem of Sebastopol; Latia Teiara Little of Scooba; Amanda Linn McKnight of Ackerman; Diamond M. Mundy of Columbus; Dallas Niswonger of Caledonia; Rachel King Reese of Starkville; Angelia D. Rice of Columbus; MaKayla Robertson of Amory; Laura James Sanders of Caledonia; DuWanda Rene Singleton of Okolona; Amber Sha’tia Sisk of Oxford; Shavonne Townsend of Starkville; Devean Alexander Turner of Eupora; Heather Miller Usry of West Point; Trenton Wheeler of Vernon, Alabama; Alexis Sierra Wittke of Columbus
