Hostos Community College celebrated its Registered Nursing (RN) and Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) graduates at the Spring 2021 Nursing Pinning Ceremony, held on YouTube Thursday, May 27.
 
“We at Hostos are proud of each and every one of them,” said Dr. Kathleen Ronca, Associate Professor of Nursing and Clinical Coordinator, noting: “The entire staff is behind each and every student.”
 
She also recognized the tireless efforts of the nursing department faculty and staff and congratulated grads’ families and loved ones for supporting them during their nursing journeys at Hostos and beyond.
 
Interim President Daisy Cocco De Filippis congratulated the 2021 Nursing grads and acknowledged the vital role they’ll go on to play. “The last thirteen months have demonstrated how very essential, how crucial, the nursing profession is,” she said, noting the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme demands placed upon the worlds’ medical practitioners.
 
“The men and women who place their very lives [on the line] to save and soothe deserve our highest praise,” she continued. 
 
Interim President Cocco De Filippis praised the nursing program’s Class of 2021 for the perseverance they demonstrated during an immensely challenging year. “You are heroes in a world which sorely needs your help, and it is an honor to celebrate this day with you,” she said.
 
Nursing faculty and staff also shared words of encouragement, as did RN Class President Rachel Yepes and LPN Class President Antionette Fleming. Additionally, LPN graduate Patrice Lowe was named the recipient of the Florence Nightingale Award, the program’s most prestigious honor. The recipients of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards — presented to the students with the first, second and third-highest academic GPA, respectively — were also recognized, as were the Gonzalez-Tubman Award, Phoenix Award, Community Service Award, Probity Award recipients.
 
The ceremony concluded with the 2021 nursing grads receiving their nursing pins and reciting the Florence Nightingale pledge.
 
Congratulations to our 2021 RN and LPN grads! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
 
Watch the Spring 2021 Nursing Pinning Ceremony on YouTube here.