E&H nursing class graduates Saturday

The inaugural class of nursing students in the new millennium at Emory & Henry College will be marching across the stage at the E&H Commencement on Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. in the Fred Selfe Stadium on the Emory campus.

The 2024 graduates include:

Carly Charles of Wytheville who has accepted job on medical-surgical unit in Wytheville;

Rebecca Finley of Wytheville who has accepted job in emergency department in Marion;

Ashlee Jordan of Boones Mill, Virginia, who has accepted job in emergency department in Marion;

Rachel Martin of Pulaski who accepted job in skilled rehabilitation in Pulaski;

Marley Sterling of Wise who accepted job on critical care unit in Abingdon;

Kayla Weston of Jonesville, Virginia, who accepted job in emergency department in Marion.

“The pinning ceremony (which was held Friday) represents the transition from a student to a nursing professional and is significant in a nurse’s journey as it is frequently revered as more meaningful than graduation to many students,” said Amy Edmison, DNP, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing BSN Program Director, “Nursing school is extremely rigorous, as it should be since nurses are typically the last safety net between interventions and the patient. Since the faculty all know the extent of the rigor, we want to ensure our students know how incredibly proud we are of them for reaching this milestone in their educational and professional journey. The faculty and I are so honored to welcome each of these individuals to the nursing profession as colleagues this week.” 

The pre-licensure nursing program enrolled its first cohort in January 2021 under the direction of Founding Dean Dr. Laurie Anne Ferguson, thus the students graduating are the inaugural pre-licensure class to graduate from the revival of the nursing program at Emory & Henry College.

Classes are offered on the Emory and Marion campuses by premier and experienced nursing faculty as well as experienced interdisciplinary faculty at the School of Health Sciences. Six of the nine graduates have committed to stay in the region to perform their duties and add caring and compassionate care to their patients.

“Emory & Henry College has helped prepare me into a well-rounded nurse. I have gained knowledge of how to properly perform skills, how to maintain professionalism within the workplace, and how to provide holistic care to the patients for whom I will care for upon moving into my next chapter,” said Marley Sterling, May 2024 nursing graduate, Class Representative.

“Like our White Coat Ceremony symbolizes the beginning of our journey into nursing, the Pinning Ceremony symbolizes the closing of this chapter and the start of a lifelong, fulfilling career of caring for others. By beginning my career in the Critical Care Unit, I will be given the opportunity to care for patients as well as their families, like so many nurses have done for my dad and family. Giving back to Southwest Virginia, which is the area who made me who I am, I owe everything to the School of Nursing for allowing me to grow and find a lifelong career I am passionate about,” added Sterling.