Nursing pins were given out Tuesday in a ceremony recognizing the 2022 graduates of College of the Canyons’ (COC) nursing program.

On Tuesday afternoon, COC nursing students and their families gathered in the school’s Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita to receive pins to wear at their commencement ceremonies signifying their statuses as registered nurses.

“You have chosen the most honorable career,” said Jodi Hein, chief nursing officer at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. “You have chosen the most trusted profession. You are not just a nurse.”

Students Recognized For Persevering During Pandemic

The ceremony began when graduates made their way down the steps of the auditorium and onto the stage with friends and family cheering them on.

Zena Taher/ KHTS News

Stepping up onto the stage two at a time, graduates paused to hug each other before taking their seats.

Zena Taher/ KHTS News

“Despite all the challenges that our graduates have had in front of them, they completed their coursework,” said Dr. Dianne Van Hook, chancellor at College of the Canyons. “They demonstrated grace and grit at the same time, which isn’t always easy… and they made it through this rigorous program to be here today.

Honoring Florence Nightingale

Afterwards, graduates lit candles on stage in memory of Florence Nightingale, who was known for making hospitals cleaner and emphasizing hygiene.

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“Through her faith, honor and humanity, Florence Nightingale created the foundation for nursing that we trust in today,” said graduating nursing student Lexi Burke. “To those in pain, left without hope, surrounded by the overwhelming darkness of war, she was the lady with the lamp.”

Lexi Burke speaks about Florence Nightingale. Zena Taher/ KHTS News

The Pinning Ceremony

The cohort then made their way across the stage, where faculty members placed pins onto the stoles of the graduates, which were labeled to signify their successful completion of the nursing program.

Zena Taher/ KHTS News

“What I loved about this group is that we all worked as a team to type up notes, review via zoom or teams before exams or meet up early in the morning at Starbucks right before exams to review any last minute details we may have missed on our own,” said graduating nursing student Giselle Lozoya. “I appreciate each and every one of you for that.”

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