As the fall semester wound down, Cerro Coso held a Vocational Nursing Capping and Pinning Ceremony on Thursday, December 2, symbolically welcoming 11 student vocational nurses into a profession of service to others (pending passage of state boards.)

The path to becoming a nurse is long, steep, and sometimes rocky. The whole experience of being a nursing major is often an emotional roller-coaster. They cry together, laugh together, and share their stories with each other. But at the end of the day, they know the nursing profession is exactly what they were meant to do.

The Nursing Pinning and Capping Ceremonies signify the end of a rigorous and physically demanding program of study. Students, family, friends, faculty and staff enjoyed the solemn, joyful, and at times humorous ceremonies as instructors and graduates shared their thoughts and memories of the 18 month journey that was being completed. These students will have the opportunity to make an enormous, positive difference in the lives of people under their care.

“These nursing graduates are heading into unprecedented challenges with the global pandemic,” said Matt Wanta, Program Director.  “They will not only be the front line of care, they will often be the only connection patients have with their families.  The challenges over the last two years have been immense, and it takes a very special person to serve the needs of the community in times like this.  These graduates have shown us how they take on these challenges and become the nursing warriors the world needs today.”

Bishop campus nursing students honored were: Jennifer Ayala, Megan Bulmer, Isabel Calderon, Morgan Cunha, Dulce Flores, Veronica Hernandez, Heather Landen, Julia Sarver, Jade Tartaglia, Aurora Toledo, and Litzy Trujillo.

The capping and pinning ceremony signifies the official initiation into the brotherhood and sisterhood of nurses. It is a proud moment for the students as they are welcomed into the nursing profession.

The next step for these students is to take the Nursing Certification Licensing Exam (NCLEX), and upon passage, the graduates will have earned the credential of Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).

Wanta challenged the college’s newest nursing graduates to become advocates for health care at the conclusion of the ceremony. “Go forth and use the education you’ve received at Cerro Coso to not only provide compassionate and skilled care to patients and families but to also give voice to health-care needs in the community.”

“We are very proud of each of these students and the faculty committed to their success,” said President Sean Hancock.

It was the perfect way to complete a semester of hard work and dedication.

Nursing…the hardest job you’ll ever love.