2013 graduating nursing students honored at pinning ceremony

HUNTINGTON, Ind. Seventeen Huntington University graduating nursing students were honored in a traditional pinning ceremony today.

The Class of 2013 is the third graduating class from the Department of Nursing.

The history of the pinning ceremony comes from the Crimean War when Florence Nightingale took 38 women to Turkey to nurse sick and wounded British soldiers. As she cared for her patients by the light of a lamp, Florence Nightingale became known as the "lady with the lamp." As a tribute to Florence's dedication, the lamp icon became symbolic of nursing. In the traditional ceremony the nursing pin is used to signify this same dedication, the end of formal education and the beginning of practice. It is a way of welcoming graduates into the nursing profession.

At the ceremony, students received the Huntington University Department of Nursing pin with the department's emblem.

This year, Aaron Lehman was presented with the Senior Leadership Award. The Leadership Award is voted on by the Senior Class.

The ceremony also included a "Passing of the Lamp" presentation from Aaron Lehman to Lindsay Shellabarger.

"The pinning ceremony has a distinctive meaning to graduating nursing students as it signifies the end of an intense and rigorous education leading them to the socialization into their chosen careers," said Dr. Margaret Winter, director of nursing.

Commencement exercises at Huntington University are scheduled for May 18.

The following students were honored during the ceremony:

Lindsey Belland of Galesburg, Mich.
Kate Bienz of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Kristen Burkholder of Goshen, Ind.
Anna Carpenter of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Cierra (Wise) Ellis of Alexandria, Ind.
Jordan Fox of Wabash, Ind.
Brandi Gower of Huntington, Ind.
Tiffani Hammer of Huntington, Ind.
Sarah Harrison of Bryan, Ohio
Michelle Hawthorne of of Brooklyn, Mich.
Gabby Helle of Toledo, Ohio
Aaron Lehman of Berne, Ind.
Erin Lessing of Covington, La.
Rachel Peery of Goshen, Ind.
Aaron Wells of Marion, Ind.
Katie (Spencer) Wood of Racine, Wis.
Erin Yoder of Leo, Ind.