Spring Nursing Graduates Honored during Pinning Ceremony

Primary Media Contact: Holly Walker, Public Relations Manager, 804-594-1530

Secondary Media Contact: Heather Busch, Creative Services Manager, 804-594-1532

CHESTER and MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – As family and friends cheered them on, more than 60 students celebrated their completion of John Tyler, becoming Brightpoint, Community College’s nursing program. The college’s newest nurses were recognized during a Nursing Pinning Ceremony held May 11, 2022, at the Chester Campus. During the event, Joseph “Joe” Mazzo, FACHE, the chief executive officer of John Randolph Medical Center, delivered the keynote address. During his remarks, Mazzo, who began his medical career as a registered nurse, spoke about the critical role nurses perform in the healthcare industry and about the challenges facing the profession as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also shared lessons he learned over the years including: always remember why you chose to become a nurse; be open to continuous learning; embrace opportunities to mentor; take breaks; and share your experiences and observations with your employer. Nursing graduate Dionne Dow also addressed those in attendance. Dow spoke about the students’ persistence, as they worked on their degrees while they and the world moved through a pandemic, and she encouraged her classmates to keep leaning on their support systems as they enter the next part of their journey.

After the keynote speaker and student speaker addresses, the Spring 2022 nursing graduate candidates were called to the stage to be recognized and to receive their pins. They include (zip codes appear next to name):
 
Patricia Abruzzese (23111)
Carolyn Barrett (23225)
Caroline Anne Beatley (23139)
Jennifer Peirce Benson (23238)
Caitlyn Rae Bersch (23112)
Jordan Moeller Binks (23120)
Mariana Bletsas (23112)
Hayley Virginia Bundock (23228)
AnneClaire Corritone (23113)
Elizabeth Eleanor Cozens (23229)
Hannah Marie Crandall (23838)
Uryah Octavia Crump Smith (23832)
Salome Curry-El (23805)
Heather Ann Curtis (23112)
Reed Elizabeth Dale (23139)
Haley Mariah Davidson (23836)
Samantha Ramie Leigh Dempsey (23831)
Dionne Marie Dow (23113)
Lauren O. Dunn (23885)
Ellisa Betty Evans (23059)
Faith Greer Flanagan (23112)
Tatiana Gracheva (23114)
Jasmine Samone Graves-Cooper (23832)
Amber Grace Haddon (23875)
Katie Elizabeth Haley (23112)
Beth Marie Hodges (24577)
Julie Ann Hribar (23112)
Carneshia Devona Johnson (23139)
Morgan Marie Lehman (23237)
Nicholas Jeffrey Linnell (23114)
Kenneth Warren Maiden III (23177)
Joshua Curtis McDaniel (23838)
Collin Anthony Mills (23803)
Mike Morgan (23234)
Ashleigh Nelson (23831)
Tiffany Robinson Pollard (23236)
Carolyn Malinda Proctor (23221)
Amanda Reese (23831)
David Aaron Rike (23224)
Garbrielle Rivera (23112)
Rachelle Rosengarten Roberts (23235)
Denise E Rockwell (23112)
Andrew Ryan Severson (23236)
Cheryl Kim Shaw (23114)
Muhammad Atif Siddiqui (23114)
Emilee Meredith Simms (23832)
Nicole Lynn Snodgrass (23235)
Christopher E. Stamper (23111)
Paula Andrea Stells (23832)
Melissa Amber Thomas (23236)
Angela Thompson (22942)
Britanny Thompson (23139)
April Sunset Tilson (23228)
Sandra Abigail Villagomez (23836)
Zachary Briar Watson (23236)
Marsay Dominique Wheeler (23228)
Erica Leigh Whelan Williams (23803)
Jordan Bryce Williams (23112)
Sarah Renae Womack (23228)
Victoria Wood (23838)
Hnin Yee (23801)
Anna Zembar (23223)

Pinning dates back to the 1880s. The pin, given to graduate candidates, symbolizes the school of nursing where the students earned their clinical experience, achieved academic credentials and began their socialization into the profession. The ceremony marks the completion of that rigorous training and is often viewed with the same importance as commencement. 

John Tyler Community College, which is becoming Brightpoint Community College on July 1, 2022, offers more than 75 majors that provide pathways to careers in high-demand fields; transfer opportunities to four-year colleges and universities; and industry credentials and licensures. The college, with campuses in Chester and Midlothian, online classes, and off-campus classrooms, served more than 12,790 students during the 2020-21 academic year. It also assisted approximately 5,700 learners, including more than 2,700 job seekers, through its workforce development division, Community College Workforce Alliance, a partnership between Tyler and Reynolds community colleges.