BLINN NURSING STUDENTS HONORED BY BRAZOS VALLEY VIETNAM VETERANS

  

Eight Blinn College students were honored recently for lending a hand at a November ceremony that has remained top of mind and heart for a group of local Vietnam Veterans.

Students from the Blinn College Nursing Students Association (BCNSA) were invited by Brazos Valley Vietnam Veterans Chapter 937 to tend the first aid station during the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ceremony Nov. 9 in downtown Bryan.  Approximately 1,000 community members attended the ceremony in which 58 Brazos Valley fallen servicemen were recognized with a 10-foot monument for their dedication during the war in Vietnam.

Students Samantha Gathright, Joshua Gibson, Alicia Vandivort, Katie Houston, Kate Lynn Richards, Melanie Peterson, David McClung and Macy Arrants, and Associate Degree Nursing Program Director Michael Hutton and Simulations Director Sami Rahman were invited to enjoy dinner and receive letters of recognition and commemorative coins for their participation in the ceremony.

“We are so thankful for the students’ support,” said Bill Powell, secretary for the veterans’ organization. “We knew we were going to need a first aid station, and had no idea what we were going to do. Thankfully, these students came through. Our 58 heroes are now truly recognized, and the beautiful ceremony was a success thanks to the students.”

BCNSA is a service organization within Blinn’s Associate Degree Nursing Program, housed on the College’s Health Science Center campus. Students are eligible to join in their first semester and participate in a number of service projects and extracurricular learning opportunities.

“We are very appreciative of their consideration,” said Rahman, BCNSA advisor. “Thankfully there were no emergencies that required our services, but we were happy to be there to support our veterans and would gladly do it again.”

Story Courtesy of Blinn College