Early in the morning on Friday, Aug. 7, Peter Njoroge’s wife, two children, and nephew donned special printed t-shirts with the words “Congratulations” and either “Proud of my husband, daddy, or uncle.” Together with relatives in Kenya they clicked on a Facebook Live link and watched as Njoroge and 60 other Collin College nursing students were pinned at Collin College’s August nursing graduation ceremony. To date, the college has 2,122 nursing graduates.
“I am so glad we were able to have a pinning ceremony this year,” Njoroge said. “My family has been sacrificing so I could study, so it was good that they were able to watch the pinning ceremony. It was an honor to receive the Daisy Award, which is given to students who show compassion to patients, because my colleagues are also worthy of the award.”
Njoroge was among several students who were recognized at the ceremony. The following students were also honored.
More than 100 hours of Service Learning
Rebekah Alexander
Love Olaleye
Kendra Smith
Leadership
Christopher Vestal (class president and CNSA president)
Lauren Hair (class vice president)
Kirsten Hammons (class treasurer)
Taylor Means (class secretary and CNSA treasurer)
Kimberly Wilson (CNSA representative)
Clinical Excellence Award
Abby Blythe
Sarah Bochniak
Troy Galbreath
Rebecca Jones
Allison Loyd
Alex Lopez
Catherine Myers
Sarah Vetter
Johnathan West
Selected for membership in Alpha Delta Nu nursing honor society
Ahmed Alrufaiee
Sarah Bochniak
Melody Cottrell
Veronica Davis
Miranda Feemster
Bridget Houston
Rebecca Jones
Sabrina Jorgenson
Christine Kariuki
Sarah Kenneson
Nicole Long
Jennifer Lucas
Jordan Mayfield
Taylor Means
Catherine Myers
Peter Njoroge
Elizabeth Otieno
Piper Shulenberger
Jason Spruill
Graduated with honors
Veronica Davis (3.6)
Miranda Feemster (3.5)
Bridget Houston (3.6)
Rebecca Jones (3.8)
Military recognition
Jason Spruill served six years in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman, was deployed in the first wave to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and served the remainder of his term as the lead petty officer for a family practice clinic at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
The August 2020 graduating class selected professors Cyndie Amerson and Gary Huey as the faculty members who would perform the ceremonial pinning.
Njoroge summed up the atmosphere of the event when he shared that he feels fortunate to have been accepted into Collin College’s nursing program.
“There is a level of prestige in having gone through Collin College’s program. During clinicals when we said we were from Collin College even the patients recognized the quality of students from the college. I am proud to be associated with Collin College.”
For more images of the event, visit www.collin.edu/news/Event_Photos.html. For more information about Collin College’s nursing program, visit www.collin.edu/nursing/.