Ukiah… First year nursing students are busy making plans for their future! They recently asked the Ridgewood Lodge a fraternal order of the free masons for a gift of $1,000 to fund their nursing pins and graduation ceremony all of which will occur in 2020.
“First Year Nursing Students Making Plans for the Future” “Each graduating class is tasked with fundraising for the expenses associated with their graduation pins and ceremony. The class of 2020 decided to get a head start on what they were going to need, stated instructor Heidi Crean.”
The officers for the 2020 graduating class are Maegan Brassfield, President; Jillian Koski, Vice President; Charles Raasch, Treasurer; Jonathan Escalante, Secretary. Raasch is a member of the Ridgewood Lodge and asked the organization for their support and according to Raasch, “they support education and were honored to support our class.” Nursing graduations are special events which are filled with the strongest sense of accomplishment possible. There are tears of joy, laughter and tender moments as 18-22 (depending on the size of the class) nursing graduates say goodbye to their classmates and instructors in order to move on to their career in the medical profession.
One of those special moments included in a nursing graduation includes the Nursing Pledge which is accompanied by the traditional “pinning” ceremony. Nursing graduates pledge to practice the profession faithfully and with honesty and to be devoted to the welfare and dignity of those within their care.
According to the 2020 class officers, the donation from Ridgewood will provide them with enough funds to purchase their pins (they typically include the graduates name, name of their school and year graduated), along with providing funding for their reception following graduation.
For more information about the Mendocino College Friends of the Nursing Program or to donate towards and Mendocino College Foundation program, please contact Katie Fairbairn, Executive Director at kfairbairn@mendocino.edu or call 468-3164.
Left to Right: Nursing students Jonathan Escalante, Maegan Brassfield, Charles Raasch, Jillian Koski and Nursing Instructor Heidi Crean
