With this year’s graduation ceremony postponed to December due to COVID-19, Chaminade faculty and staff have found new ways to celebrate and recognize graduating seniors.
On Saturday, May 9, for instance, the School of Nursing and Health Professions held a zoom celebration to honor the 65 students who were graduating this term.
“We wanted to do something really special for them,” says Dr. Edna Monroe-Magpantay, professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions and the event host. “They are dedicating their entire careers to caring for others. They are the ones who are going to be on the frontlines of this pandemic, keeping our communities safe and healthy. They deserve to be recognized.”
The event was a much-needed release for the students after a long final week of virtual mock interviews, standardized testing and virtual NCLEX exam preparation. All of the graduates are certified nurse aides, and as soon as testing centers open in their respective states, they will be able to take the nursing licensure exam to earn their nursing certification.
The event began with a prayer and an opening message from Dr. Haley.
“We’re here to celebrate your accomplishments and we’re very proud of you,” began Dr. Haley. “You’re joining a worldwide professional family of nurses. We’re known for our compassion, our expertise and our trustworthy service to others. It’s a tough time to come into nursing and you couldn’t be needed more.”
Before reading the names of all of the graduates, the annual senior awards were announced to outstanding students. Upon those who received awards were Meghan Chilton, Micaela Mariano, Spencer Lee, Ofa-Helotu Koka, Vivianne Verceluz and Kaleiui Hosaka.
The inaugural DAISY Faculty Award, a recognition established by The DAISY Foundation to honor nursing faculty members for their commitment to and inspirational influence on their students, was presented to Dr. Jeremy Creekmore. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Student went to Spencer Lee.
At the end of the celebration, the graduates followed classmate Micaela Mariano in reciting the Nightingale Pledge. Created in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, the Nightingale Pledge is a statement of ethics and principles taken by nurses in the United States.
“In full knowledge of the obligations I am undertaking,” repeated the graduates, “I promise to care for the sick with all the skill and understanding I possess, without regard to race, creed, color, politics, or social status, sparing no effort to conserve life, to alleviate suffering and to promote health.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2020–we wish you the best of luck on your NCLEX exams and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. We look forward to officially celebrating you in December!
