Yesterday marked a significant milestone for El Paso Community College (EPCC) as it honored its Nursing Program graduates with pinning ceremonies. In a report by EPCC News, 61 Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) graduates received their pins Thursday morning. Following in the afternoon, 18 Vocational Nursing (VN) graduates were also pinned. Both cohorts are preparing to walk during EPCC's Commencement ceremony tomorrow.
During the ceremonies, keynote speaker Anna Favela, a Nursing Associate Professor at EPCC, shared insights while Gloria Domina and Malena Mendoza, both ADN Nursing graduates and members of the Student Nursing Association, took on the Master of Ceremonies role. "Here's the truth. No one ever goes through Nursing school saying it was easy," Aimee Montes, the Student Nurses Association President and an ADN Nursing graduate, told EPCC News. "It pushes you to your limits, forces you to get out of your comfort zone, with skills and procedures you were nervous about, and today is proof that you always belonged in this place."
The ceremonies also spotlighted the Daisy Award winners. The award, which acknowledges the compassionate care provided by nurses, was given to ADN student Patricia Matunis and educator Graciela Navarette. "It is such a huge honor, and to win the Daisy Award, this is a very powerful moment," Matunis said, emphasizing her midwifery experience and longing to care for whole families, not just women and children, as she shared with EPCC News.
The EPCC Administrative Services Center, while hosting the pinning events, witnessed the Lighting of the Lamps by the El Paso Nurses Honor Guard, a tradition harkening back to Florence Nightingale's enduring lessons of knowledge, hope, and compassionate care. "This day represents dedication, perseverance, and choosing nursing even on the hardest days," VN student and Daisy Award recipient Patricia Cruz told EPCC News. She underscored the comprehensive education they received, which extends beyond procedures and textbooks.
