Founding Dean of the Morrison Family College of Health Dr. MayKao Hang has been working toward this moment for years.
“When I look at all of you graduates, you are my dream,” Hang said. “I have a lot of dreams for you, and I know that the legacy that we have as an institution is really about all of you.”
The tradition of pinning nurses dates to when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale for her service as a military nurse during the Crimean War. Many St. Thomas students asked faculty and staff to perform their pinning, but others had family members in the nursing profession step on stage with them. Student speaker Morgan Williams ’24 MSN, who has served as president of the Graduate Nursing Association at St. Thomas, reflected on her time in the program and encouraged fellow graduates to enter their new profession with pride.
“I hope you join me in being proud of our hard work and accomplishments – proud to be a part of something great and proud to achieve our dreams of becoming a nurse,” Williams said. “The members of this cohort are going to change lives forever and always. I am proud to be a Tommie nurse.” Minnesota’s newest nurses will enter the workforce at a crucial moment: A severe nursing shortage continues to grow across the nation. Meanwhile, health care disparities persist among those who have low income, those of certain racial and ethnic groups, and those in rural areas due to lack of transportation to health care providers. Dedicated to advancing health equity, social justice and whole-person health, the School of Nursing was developed with the current health care crisis in mind. University leaders believe this first cohort is uniquely qualified to make an immediate impact. “We are so excited to see you use God’s gifts to touch the lives around you, to have a multiplier effect in the communities that you will serve as you bring that commitment to whole-person care into the world,” President Rob Vischer said.
Morgan Williams ’24 MSN poses with her grandmother during the nursing pinning ceremony. Williams plans to pursue a career in emergency medicine and said, "Life is an incredible journey, and I cannot wait to see what this next phase brings." (Brandon Woller ’17/University of St. Thomas)
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