Large VGCC Class Of Future RNs Get Pins
One of the largest Associate Degree Nursing classes in many years – 34 women and one man –graduated from Vance-Granville Community College May 13, and the night before they received their nursing pins.
Forty students usually begin the two-year nursing program, but the difficulty of the curriculum can pare that number down considerably, college officials said. In her remarks at the pinning ceremony, class President Jamie Spencer said, “When we began we vowed to be one of the largest classes to graduate, and we made it.”
The 34 graduates, who are now eligible to take the state boards to become registered nurses, are: Michelle Lee Averette and Christopher N. Riggan of Warrenton; Tammy Meador Gallagher, Sheila Pope Rooker and Tina Marie VanBuren of Norlina; Tracy Gerber Carpunky, Laura Elizabeth Covington, Amanda Kay Hilliard, Marchita Rena Magbie and Geneva Johnson Wright of Henderson; Pamela Denise Johnston of Townsville; Kellie Aman Norris and Amy Lynn Paynter of Kittrell.
Also, LeAnn Milton Cox of Creedmoor; Christy Henderson Dickerson, Shelly Renae Fields, Gloria Marie Goodin, Leah Williams Pernell, Jamie Lynn Spencer and Kimberly Ackerman West of Oxford; Heather Lee Morton of Stem; Lynette Collier Tilley of Bullock; Karen Hastings Clayton of Rougemont; Sherry Oakley Daniel, Sylvia Gayle Fairchild, Julie JoAnn Ferguson and April Dawn Horton of Franklinton; Domenick Lavette Hicks, Kippy Anthony Mitchell and Peggy Harris Spivey of Louisburg; Marcia Amantangelo Mitchell of Youngsville; Erica Davis Payne and Sherry Parrish Shehadeh of Castalia; Candace Bryant Brown of Zebulon; and Natalie Mureen Hunter of Durham.
Several graduates were recognized for academic honors during the ceremonies. Honored for maintaining 3.0 grade-point-averages or higher were Sherry Shehadeh, Tammy Gallagher, Marcia Mitchell, Heather Morton and Jamie Spencer, while Shehadeh received special recognition for having the highest GPA.
VGCC President Robert A. Miller welcomed families and guests to the pinning ceremonies and spoke of the success of the Associate Degree Nursing program, which began at the college in 1983. Hundreds of its graduates have become RNs and have gone on to work in hospitals and clinics throughout the area, he said.
Miller cited some interesting facts about the 2003 nursing class, including that they range in age from 20 to 48, 15 of them are married, and that together they have 44 children. One alone has nine children and two grandchildren, and another has six grandchildren.
Nine of the nurses who received associate degrees have other degrees, including several who have bachelor’s degrees but chose to return to Vance-Granville to study nursing, Miller said. “Twenty-four of these graduating nurses already have confirmed employment, which accentuates the widespread need for healthcare professionals and the many opportunities awaiting graduates in these fields,” he said.
Estena Hawkins, a nurse practitioner who graduated in the VGCC ADN class of 1989, spoke briefly to the graduates of her experiences in the nursing field since being pinned 14 years ago. She worked at Maria Parham Hospital, the Granville County Health Department and then returned to school at Emory University in Atlanta to train as a nurse practitioner. Upon graduation from Emory, she returned to Henderson and has worked at the Henderson Clinic for Women since 1997.
“I’ve had an exciting, fulfilling career, and you can, too,” Hawkins told the graduates. “I challenge you to go out and build yourself a career.”
The graduates each received their distinctive VGCC nursing pins and recited the International Council of Nurses Pledge in a candlelight ceremony to conclude the program.
2003 graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing program at Vance-Granville Community College who received their nursing pins May 12 are (all left to right) front: Shelley Fields, April Horton, Sherry Shehadeh, Tammy Gallagher; second row: Candace Brown, Julie Ferguson, Marchita Magbie; third row: Kelly Norris, Kippy Mitchell, Amanda Hilliard, Peggy Spivey; fourth row: Sylvia Fairchild, Jamie Spencer, Christy Dickerson; fifth row: Christopher Riggan, Michelle Averette, Gloria Goodin, Sherry Daniel; sixth row: Tina VanBuren, Sheila Rooker, Leah Pernell; seventh row: Laura Covington, Heather Morton, Lynette Tilley, Amy Paynter, Erica Payne; eighth row: LeAnn Cox, Tracie Carpunky, Pamela Johnston, Domenick Hicks, Karen Clayton, Natalie Hunter
