
Photo: Courtesy of Kai Porter, KOB-TV
On Thursday, May 11, a celebratory pinning ceremony welcomed 48 nursing graduates, including 12 students who had come from ITT Tech after it abruptly closed.
Kicking off the festive ceremony was a surprise for Dean of School of Sciences, Health, Engineering and Math Jenny Landen. Dr. Nancy Ridenour, Nurse Practitioner, Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of New Mexico was introduced by President Randy Grissom. She announced a new endowment that she recently established at Santa Fe Community College Foundation to honor Dean Jenny Landen: the Jenny Landen New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium Project Support Endowment, which will provide funds for students, faculty and program expenses with preference for NMNEC work being done in conjunction with Santa Fe Community College and UNM’s Schools of Nursing.
There were the usual tears of joy, but particularly grateful were the ITT Tech students, who thanked Interim Nursing Director Terri Tewart. Tewart, herself, was tearful to see this day finally arrive for her former ITT Tech students and she thanked SFCC as the only nursing school in the state to accept the students. The joyful moment was captured in this report on KOB-TV.
Congratulations to the following graduates who were pinned.:
NMNEC BSN/ADN
Rebecca Benage
Joshua Binder
Amy Bowers
Maggie Brannigan
Dennis Chavez
Violet Chombwe
Leigh-Ann Garfield
Ashley Gates
Jordan Haarhues
Laiven Jean de Chantal
Nicholas Leonard
Kassandra Martinez
William Meadows
Andrea Romero
April Sandoval
Jacquelyn Sandoval
Mankah Tadfor
Priscilla Tembe
Martha Vasquez
Hannah Whitmore
NMNEC ADN only
Deanna Aragon
Leah Begin
Darlene C de Vaca
Joshua Griego
Teresa Hernandez
Paulina Hill
Ingrid Koster
Callie Miller
Adrian Quintana
Valerie Rivera
Veronica Romero
Leanne Shannon
Hannah Talley
Adrianna Tapia
Silvia Santiago
Non NMNEC ADN
Julian Bailon
Avilia Chacon
Cynthia Estrada
Rachael Graham
Felicia Griego
Vanessa Jimenez
Benita Lovato
Christine Lujan
Makandle Mercer
Holly Mora
Meghan Mora
Marcie Moriarty