Forty-one new nurses received their pins at the Ventura College 2008 Nursing Pinning on Friday, May 9 at the Ventura High School Auditorium. The traditional ceremony included the personal pinning of each graduate by the nurse or nursing instructor who had mentored or inspired the student to enter the profession. Ventura College Nursing Professor Claudia Peter, Ed.D., M.S.N., R.N., was the keynote speaker.
A number of students were recognized for their significant academic achievements and community contributions:
Six were named as “Graduates with Distinction” for their contributions to the School of Nursing, to the community or their employers, and to their fellow students: Michelle Criger, Cassie Pinto, Jessica De Los Santos, Ginger McAvoy, Kay Elmerick, Adelina Lopez.
Six received Red Cross Awards for contributing a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer work in the community, often at flu shot clinics and other health facilities: Michelle Criger, Jessica James, Gavin Jones, Adelina Lopez, Ginger McAvoy, Fleurette ”Chris” Woods, and Hilda Ortiz was recognized for Community Service. The students completed 392.25 hours of community service.
Thirteen received Peer Tutor Awards for their work assisting other students with the challenging academic nursing curriculum: Jessica James, Michelle Criger, Cassie Pinto, Denise Pulido, Phu Pham, Jessica Carson, Jessica De Los Santos, Ginger McAvoy, Angela Vidal, Fleurette “Chris” Woods, Yesenia Avila, Kay Elmerick, and Gavin Jones.
Denise Pulido was awarded the 6th Annual Dobson Medal for Clinical and Academic Excellence in Nursing. Denise, a resident of Santa Paula, is a married mother of three children who returned to school to become a nurse because she has a deep desire to help and comfort people through difficult times in their lives and says, “I feel this (nursing) is my God given calling.” Denise hopes to begin her nursing career in the post-surgical unit at Community Memorial Hospital. After honing her skills as a medical-surgical nurse, she would like to enter the hospital’s program to become a surgical nurse. She also has plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, to continue to volunteer with the Red Cross, and to become a volunteer for Doctors without Borders, an international humanitarian organization that provides urgent medical and nursing care to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics. Denise received a 10-K gold medal designed to be worn as a pin and her picture will be added to a plaque in the School of Nursing office that commemorates each recipient of this annual award.
The Dobson Medal for Clinical and Academic Excellence in Nursing annually recognizes the student who best typifies the ideal clinical, academic and behavioral characteristics of a new graduate from the Ventura College Associate Degree Nursing Program. Selection by the nursing faculty is based on a variety of criteria, including being “the student I would most like to care for me or my family”. The medal was established by Janet Dobson Leifur, RN, MSN, a retired Ventura College School of Nursing instructor and program alumnae, and her sister, Joy Dobson Way RN, MS, also a program graduate. The award is in memory of the life and professional inspiration of their mother, Winifred Mary Dobson, who, in 1937, received the Garettson Medal for Efficiency, given annually to the most clinically and academically outstanding graduate of the Newport (R.I.) Hospital School for Nurses.
The School of Nursing and Allied Health prepares students to care for individuals in hospitals, homes, and other health care settings. Graduates practice the art and science of nursing by combining knowledge from many different disciplines to promote the restoration and maintenance of health in their clients. The School administers the Associate Degree Nursing, Certified Nurse Assistant, and Continuing Education for Registered Nurses programs.
For additional information, contact Alisa Sparkia Moore, Ventura College Public Information Officer, 654-6462 or asmoore@vcccd.edu.
VENTURA COLLEGE 2008 NURSING GRADUATES:
Camarillo: Richard W. Barnett, Renata Chabot, Michelle Criger, Kay Elmerick, Jennifer M. Hoppe, Isabel Jimenez, Gabriella F. Nunez, Cassie A. Pinto, Indy Villarreal, Wendy Young
Carpinteria: Jennifer Holmes,
Moorpark: Victoria Duah,
Ojai: Karin L. Fraki, Scott Miller
Oxnard: Maribel Bojalil, Jessica Burch, Cindy Carrillo, Jessica M. De Los Santos, Gavin Jones, Tracy Juan, Imelda F. Magdaleno, Patrick Markey, Hilda M. Ortiz, Carmen Padilla, Yadira Soltero, Maricela Soto,
Pt. Hueneme: Fleurette C. Woods
Santa Paula: Yesenia A. Avila, Adelina Corado Lopez, Denise L. Pulido, Juana V. Rico,
Ventura: Alejandra Benitez, Jessica Carson, Celeste Hattery, Sara P. Hoeffliger, Jessica J. James, Ginger McAvoy, Phu Pham, Tatiana M. Sloniker, Angela D. Vidal
West Hills : Jamie Davis
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