By Kendall McGee | May 16, 2020 at 5:16 PM EDT – Updated May 16 at 7:36 PM
BOLIVIA, N.C. (WECT) – Saturday morning, Brunswick Community College held their first ever drive through ceremony for their nursing students.
Sixteen associate degree nursing students and 11 practical nursing students were celebrated by faculty and staff front of Odell Williamson Auditorium. Students and their families drove through the traffic loop one by one to get out of the car, accept a certificate, a rose and pose for a photo with their loved ones.
“This group of students is the beginning of a new set of heroes that we will be graduating into the community,” said director of Brunswick Community College’s nursing program Dr. Colleen Burgess. “COVID has brought to light exactly what the pinning ceremony means: its a celebration of the service to our communities and the dedication and commitments to our patients.”
While it wasn’t a traditional sit down ceremony, students still were able to accept their pins and family members could clap, cheer and share in the special moment with the college’s faculty and staff.
Students say the drive through pinning ceremony wasn’t how they expected to cap off their college experience, but they were very excited to be able to celebrate their years of hard work together.
“This class has been through a lot – we’ve been through two hurricanes, leadership changes, and now COVID-19. Medicine is always changing and the biggest lesson we’ve learned is to be adaptable. We’re gonna be great nurses,” said graduate Savannah Pierce. “We’re ready.”
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