Health sciences graduates honored in pinning ceremonies

Graduating students in eight of Southwestern Community College’s health sciences programs were honored during pinning ceremonies that took place from April 28-May 7 at the Jackson Campus.

The ceremonies afforded students and their instructors an opportunity to reflect on their respective journeys, challenges and triumphs through video and award presentations in advance of the college’s May 8 commencement.
This was the first year human services technology held a pinning ceremony, joining the nursing assistant, medical assistant, therapeutic massage, emergency medical science, nursing, respiratory therapy and physical therapist assistant programs.

“These students develop extremely strong bonds from working together so closely over a two-year period, and our pinning ceremonies give them a chance to appropriately express how much they appreciate their friendships and the training they’ve received,” said Mitch Fischer, dean of health sciences at SCC. “Our health sciences programs are especially challenging, and we’re so proud of all these students who persevered and made it to the finish line.”

For more information about the health sciences programs at SCC, visit southwesterncc.edu, call 828.339.4000 or stop by the Jackson Campus.

	Among the honorees at SCC’s emergency medical sciences pinning ceremony on May 5 were Jackson County residents, from left: Zachary Cagle of Sylva, Cody McMillan of Cullowhee, Whitney Yates of Cullowhee and Danielle Greenberg of Rosman.
	EMS honorees included, Macon County residents, from left: Jacob Bingham, Milton Bennett and Raysha Nations – all from Franklin.
	EMS honoree Beau Schneider (pictured) of Whittier. Not pictured is Adam Barker of Bryson City.
	EMS honoree Danielle Greenberg of Rosman.
	SCC’s Human Services Technology program held its first pinning ceremony on May 5 at the Jackson Campus. Among the honorees was Willie Brown of Murphy.
	HST honorees included Tammy Norris (left) of Whittier and Julie Stinchcomb of Sylva.
	HST honoree Elizabeth Simpson of Franklin.
	HST honoree Molly Shaw of Bryson City.
	SCC’s Therapeutic Massage program held a pinning ceremony on May 4 at the Jackson Campus. Among the honorees was Angela Cucumber of Whittier.
	Therapeutic Massage honorees included, from left: Javier Espinoza of Cullowhee, Cambria Whitfield of Cullowhee, Cody Ragsdale of Sylva, Angela Cucumber of Whittier, Noah Munn of Tuckasegee and Nikki Middleton of Sylva.
	Therapeutic Massage honorees included, from left: Nikki McDaniel of Franklin, Joshua Tesch of Franklin, Sarah Shuler of Franklin, Amber Golebiewski of Franklin and Stacy Rivers of Scaly Mountain.
	Therapeutic Massage honorees included, Denise Panther (right) of Cherokee and Flemming Sanders of Bryson City.
	SCC’s medical assisting program held its pinning ceremony on April 29 at the Jackson Campus. Among the honorees was Charlotte Saunooke of Cherokee.
	Medial Assisting honorees included, from left: Charlotte Saunooke of Cherokee, Yesenia Oviedo of Sylva and Stephanie Green-Henson of Cullowhee.
	Medial Assisting honorees included  Franklin residents, from left: Serena Shampine, Brittany Brooks and Deena Gibson-Carpenter.
	Medial Assisting honoree Constance Orr-Snelson of Hendersonville.
	Enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who were honored during the nursing assistant program’s pinning ceremony on April 28 at Southwestern Community College include, from left: Jessica Higdon of Bryson City, Rustlina Long of Cherokee, Zachary Lambert of Cherokee and Saundra Wade of Whittier.
	Nurse Aid honoree Kayee Silvers of Robbinsville
	Nurse Aid honorees included, Christine Hayward and Courtney Craig of Waynesville.
	Nurse Aid honorees included front row, from left: Karenda Cooper of Sylva, Venus Ramirez of Cashiers, Brandy Anders of Balsam Grove, Tiffany Mills of Sylva, Chanda Stiwinter of Sylva and Paige Simpson of Cullowhee. Back row: Debra Cumbie Henry of Dillsboro, Janice Hill of Sylva and Trevor Curtice of Sylva.
	Nurse Aid honorees included, from left: Carla Miller of Franklin, Kasey Saterfiel of Franklin, Sayne Feria Cruz of Highlands, David Mathis of Franklin, Theresa Collins of Franklin, Lisa Sanford of Franklin, Chastity Seibert of Franklin and Alicia Duarte Bustos of Franklin.
	Nurse Aid honorees included, from left: Saundra Wade of Whittier, Hilda Woodard of Bryson City, Cheyenne Piper of Bryson City, Wendy Millsaps of Bryson City, Rustlina Long of Cherokee, Jessica Higdon of Bryson City, Kaylee Silvers of Robbinsville and Zachary Lambert of Cherokee.
	Southwestern Community College’s nursing students honored during a pinning ceremony on May 6 included, top row, from left: Valerie Brooks Palmer of Waynesville and Nancy Flynn Davis of Sylva. Second row: Jacqueline Ann Shuey (Lake Toxaway), Joshua Revels (Sylva). Third row: Nichole Hill (Franklin), Ryan T. Pettit (Sylva). Fourth row: LaDonna Owens (Franklin), Susie Schofield (Franklin), Leah Johnson (Tuckasegee). Fifth row: Alisha Seaman (Franklin), Mark Lee Edwards (Sylva). Sixth row: Kara-Joy Seaman (Franklin), Matthew Madden (Sylva), Jennifer Hardin Page (Sylva). Seventh row: Blair Runken (Franklin), Anthony Wayne Heltsley (Cashiers). Eighth row: Shirley Marie Mathis (Franklin), Kelle Evans (Franklin), Miranda Partington (Franklin). Ninth Row: Ashlyn Silvers (Robbinsville), Elizabeth Queen (Sylva), Ashley King (Clayton, GA), Kristyn Stevens (1st year instructor). Tenth row: Elizabeth C. Goodrick (Franklin), Amber Lindberg (Franklin), Kimi McMahan (2nd year instructor). Bottom row: Ellen Heim (1st year instructor), Barbara Connell (program director), Amanda Annette Pack (Franklin), Katie Faye Sevigny (Franklin) and Wendy Buchanan (2nd year instructor).
	PTA honoree Collin Gray of Andrews.
	PTA honoree Brooke Worley of Canton.
	PTA honoree C. Mikayla Turner of Cullowhee.
	PTA honorees included, from left: Kelsey Anderson of Franklin, Melissa Branscum of Cullowhee, Robert Vernelson of Franklin, Gary Piper of Franklin and Sergio Izquierdo of Otto.
	Second-year Radiography students honored during a pinning ceremony on April 30 were, from left top to right: Christina Zorcik of Clyde; Chelsea Ramsey of Waynesville); Carlea Cook of Franklin; JC Blake of Fletcher; Cassie Cassels of Clyde; Marc Parks of Cashiers; Celina Guffey of Franklin; Joe Cloer of Franklin; Brittany Maney of Hayesville; Kelly Arch of Cherokee; Erika Bailey of Tryon. Not pictured is Kelsey Apel of Franklin.
	Buncombe County residents who were honored in the respiratory therapy program’s pinning ceremony on May 7 at Southwestern Community College included, from left: Zac Short of Asheville, Noah Jones of Candler and Justin Wilson of Weaverville.
	Respiratory therapy honoree Giuliana Staton, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
	Respiratory therapy honorees included from left: Haley Evans of Canton, Hannah Carver of Canton, Jordan “Dani” Cody  of Canton and Landen Stevenson of Waynesville.
	Respiratory therapy honoree Sydney Lyda of Hendersonville .
	Jackson County residents respiratory therapy honorees included, Robert Bibby (left) of Cullowhee and Giuliana Staton of Sylva.
	Respiratory therapy honoree Benjamin Lackey of Franklin.