BLINN HOLDS ASSOCIATE NURSING DEGREE PINNING CEREMONY
Thirty-three future nursing professionals were recognized with their nursing pins Saturday, Dec. 7, after completing the Blinn College District’s highly regarded Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program.
“These graduates are joining a profession rooted in empathy, strength, and resilience,” said Assistant Program Director Cindy Manning. “This pinning ceremony celebrates their hard work and commitment as they prepare to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”
The fall 2024 graduating class includes:
- Carlos Alvarado
- Anna Antoniuk – Richmond, TX
- Grace Elizabeth Best
- Brandi Lee Cardenas – Del Rio, TX
- Sara Cassy
- Dariana G. Castillo
- Conley Adrienne Cockburn
- Kelsey Draughon
- Melissa Eichinger
- Alyssa Danielle Groessel
- Crissy Hernandez – Del Rio, TX
- Nisha Hill – Bryan, TX
- Joe Hulkewicz
- Preethi Jacob – Carrollton, TX
- Sydni James – Waco, TX
- Hailey Marie Kelly – La Grange, TX
- Stacia Renae Krnavek
- Sami Lima – Bryan, TX
- Molly Katherine Luedke – College Station, TX
- Rosejane Tacsay Marcelo – College Station, TX
- Victoria Mathis – Lexington, TX
- Nyssa C. Meyerdirk – Lake Jackson, TX
- Caleigh Milligan – Katy, TX
- Michael Mitchell – Buda, TX
- Payton Marie Peveto – College Station, TX
- Sierra Shawn Perez
- Joshua Pinkerton – Somerville, TX
- Dallas Trejo – Bryan, TX
- Tyler Kennett Vachon – Bonnyville, Alberta, Canada
- Hannah Walker – Bryan, TX
- Sydney Renee Woodard – Bryan, TX
- Lennox Sue Trehern Yocham – Daphne, Ala.
- Breanna Zapata – Waco, TX
Best, Cassy, Eichinger, Groessel, Kelly, Marcelo, Mathis, and Perez each graduate as members of Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society. Alpha Delta Nu students must maintain a 3.5 grade-point average both overall and in their nursing courses. Members also must complete a capstone project and demonstrate conduct on campus and in clinical areas reflecting integrity and professionalism.
Blinn’s two-year program prepares students for nursing careers and for transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year university. Students who complete Blinn’s ADN Program and pass the national licensure exam have a job placement rate between 97 and 100% and are qualified for a wide array of nursing positions, including pediatric, geriatric, hospice, school, and clinical nursing. With demand soaring in the nursing field, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses earn a median salary of $86,070.
Blinn’s ADN Program is based at the RELLIS Academic Alliance Complex at Texas A&M-RELLIS in Bryan, where students gain hands-on skills utilizing the facility’s 16,000-square-foot simulation laboratories.
Nursing students spend at least two days per week in clinical rotations, in addition to lab, simulation, and lecture time. Most students dedicate 15 to 24 hours each week to scheduled program activities and at least 30 hours per week on study and preparation.
Blinn’s ADN Program recently partnered with the Texas A&M School of Nursing to provide students with an affordable pathway to their bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). The Aggie Student-Centered Express Nursing Degree (ASCEND) Program allows students to co-enroll with both schools to earn their ADN degree with Blinn and their BSN with Texas A&M in as little as one additional semester. Blinn also maintains transfer partnerships with other universities including Sam Houston State University.
As a result of this success, Blinn has been recognized by Nursing Schools Almanac, NursingProcess.org, RNCareers.org, and RegisteredNursing.org.
For more information about Blinn’s ADN Program, visit www.blinn.edu/adn.