Northwest-Shoals Community College’s Nursing Program honored 86 nursing graduates at its annual pinning ceremony May 9 at Woodmont Baptist Church in Florence – including several hailing from Franklin County.

NW-SCC Director of Nursing Brittney Humphres, faculty and students participated in the ceremony, which included remarks by Dr. Glenda Colagross, president of NW-SCC; Kimberly Brooks, NW-SCC Practical Nursing class representative; Casey Springer, NW-SCC Associate Degree Nursing class representative; and Sarah Wilkinson-Buchmann, Alabama State Nurses Association president.

Remarks were followed by the presentation of the pins, the Nightingale Pledge and candle lighting.

The symbolic tradition of the ceremonial pinning originated in the 1860s at the Nightingale School of Nursing Hospital in London. The nursing pin received by graduates is a type of badge, awarded by the program’s faculty as a symbolic welcome into the profession.

Both PN students and ADN students participated in the ceremony.

Practical Nursing participants from Franklin County were Kristi O’Dell of Hodges, Trevor Farley of Phil Campbell and Candi Flanagan, Yesica Gonzalez Vargas, Megan Riley and Mariza Vela-Astrain of Russellville.

Associate Degree in Nursing participants from Franklin County were Hannah Newell, Kaylee Saarinen and Cortney Sides of Phil Campbell; Kaitlin Gresham of Red Bay; Ricardo Arango, Jennifer Groce, Sadie Wade and Callie Woods of Russellville; and Sydney Creekmore of Vina.