SGTC Holds Pinning Ceremony for 15 Practical Nursing Graduates

South Georgia Technical College held a pinning ceremony for the college’s fifteen Practical Nursing graduates in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the Americus campus recently. The graduates included Sheri Ariail of Americus, Kimberly Todd of Americus, Ava Nguyen of Americus, Valerie Thomas of Butler, Wesley Derington of Rupert, Amanda Farley of Americus, Courtney Bryan of Buena Vista, Arry Miller of Smithville, Sharin McCullough of Plains, Kaitlyn Butti of Lawrenceville, SaToya Merritt of Americus, Kaylee Brinson of Ellaville, Cameron Carter of Plains, Gabrielle Hartage of Americus, and Chelsey Wade of Oglethorpe. Graduate Gabrielle Hartage delivered an invocation and led the ceremony attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance during the beginning of the ceremony. Afterwards, SGTC Practical Nursing Instructor Jennifer Childs gave a class overview and shared the meaning of the pinning ceremony with the crowd. “Your pin represents South Georgia Technical College, as well as the beginning of your nursing career,” said Childs, who led the ceremony along with fellow Practical Nursing instructor Christine Rundle. “Wear it proudly, because you’ve earned it,” she said. Graduate Sheri Ariail introduced the keynote speaker, Sylvia Reyes, to the crowd. Reyes is an LPN and a 2004 graduate of South Georgia Tech’s Practical Nursing program. As someone who has been through the program herself and has become successful in the field, she shared words of encouragement and some lessons with the new graduates. “You have now embarked on a lifelong journey and some of you will go even further,” Reyes said to the graduates. “I could stand up here and tell you my story …  I promise you, we all had that story, and those stories are what molded us into the human beings that we are today. Embrace your story, and be proud of who you are and who you are about to become. This is it! As a fellow LPN, I now welcome you into the nursing world, and I challenge you to keep reaching higher. Reach as high as you can – it’s worth it, and you’re worth it.” Graduates took turns walking up to the stage to be pinned by their loved ones or the instructors. After the pinning ceremony, SaToya Merritt led the graduates in the recitation of the Nurse’s Pledge and the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. New Practical Nursing instructor Christine Rundle provided closing remarks before and Ava Nguyen closed the program with the benediction. “This is my first graduating class, and I’ve grown attached to some of them – all of them actually,” Rundle said. “I’ll miss them, but I know they will go on to do great things.” The graduating students are now eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN state board exams to become official Licensed Practical Nurses. The exam consists of 85 to 205 questions and tests all areas in the nursing profession to assure practical nurses have obtained the knowledge to practice safely in clinical settings. SGTC’s Practical Nursing program was recently ranked among the top five programs in Georgia for the year 2016, according to Accredited Schools online. For more information about admission to the SGTC Practical Nursing program, call 229.931.2299. Practical Nursing is one of many SGTC programs that is eligible for additional financial aid funds through the Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant (SIWDG). HOPE eligible students who take at least 9 or more credit hours per semester in select programs can receive an additional $500 per semester. For more information, call 229.931.2351. South Georgia Technical College is currently registering students for spring semester on both the Americus and Crisp County Center campuses, which begins Wednesday, January 10th, 2018. There will be a registration and orientation session on Monday, January 8th, 2018. South Georgia Technical College has a one-stop admissions process that allows students to apply, enroll, and register in the same day. Students also need to apply for financial aid as soon as possible if they have not already done so. To apply for admission to South Georgia Technical College in Americus call 229.931.2252 or 229.931.2760 or 1.800.928.0283 and in Cordele, call 229.271.4051. Students must complete an application for admission with a non-refundable $25 application fee. South Georgia Tech currently offers over 200 different associate degree, diploma, and short term technical certificate of credit classes. Enroll today and get ahead in your chosen career. For more information about South Georgia Technical College and its programs of study, visit the website at: www.southgatech.edu. Photo Album: /photo/11129/