PJC vocational nursing students receive awards, pins
Published or Revised May 12, 2022
Shown at top are members of the LVN class of 2021 and, below at the 2021 LVN pinning ceremony are award winners (from left) Sara Sexton, Katelyn Gilbert, and McKenzy Early. See more pinning photos at https://bit.ly/3wrMf2a.
The pinning ceremony for vocational nursing students at Paris Junior College was held in person at the Love Civic Center on May 6, 2021. In addition to the pinning, several students received awards, though all were recognized by LVN Instructor Dani Gilbreath for their achievement.
"The LVN program is 12 months in length, with 595 hours of classroom time, 850 hours of clinicals, and that totals 1,445 hours, not including study time. All those hours have made the LVN class of 2021 outstanding graduate nurses who I have to give special credit to. This group of students started when little was know about COVID-19, when no vaccine was available, when hospital cases were rising, and the television coverage was saturated. For them to step up at such a time and say, 'I see a need and I'm going to fill it' is perhaps one of the most noble things I can think of."
The Hopkins-Nicholas Award is named in honor of two Lamar County nursing pioneers and goes to a student exhibiting outstanding performance in both classroom and clinical training and someone who represents nursing at its finest. The 2021 award went to McKenzy Early of Blossom.
Katelyn Gilbert of Paris received the Metamorphosis Award, established in 1980 by nursing faculty in Greenville, for exhibiting the most growth from inexperienced student to conscientious and committed provider of care.
Due to rigorous and demanding classroom and clinical requirements, nursing school is challenging and achieving the highest grade point average is significant. The 2021 award for highest GPA went to Sara Sexton of Sumner.
St. Joseph's Community Foundation Executive Director Louisa Kessel handed out roses to all students receiving pins as part of the ceremony.
For more information about PJC Health Occupations programs, call 903-782-0734.