{"id":6406,"date":"2025-12-16T11:54:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T17:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/?p=6406"},"modified":"2025-12-16T11:54:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T17:54:56","slug":"jones-college-celebrates-the-grit-resilience-of-the-newest-practical-nursing-grads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/news\/jones-college-celebrates-the-grit-resilience-of-the-newest-practical-nursing-grads\/","title":{"rendered":"Â鶹ֱ²¥ celebrates the grit & resilience of the newest Practical Nursing grads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ELLISVILLE \u2013 Recognizing the hard work, perseverance and dedication required to complete the Practical Nursing program, Â鶹ֱ²¥ faculty and administration honored the 26 graduates of Fall 2025 Practical Nursing class with a Pinning Ceremony. Family members, friends and faculty joined the college leadership to celebrate the graduates as they officially transitioned into the nursing profession. Â鶹ֱ²¥\u2019s Director of the Practical Nursing program, Amy Myers praised the graduates for their resilience and commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur December graduates represent the best characteristics of practical nursing. They are hard-working, compassionate, and committed to caring for their communities,\u201d Myers said. \u201cThis class has shown remarkable perseverance. They balanced demanding coursework, clinicals, families, jobs, and some unexpected challenges. They are entering the nursing profession with the resilience our communities depend on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sha’Tyre Hunter (center right) of Woodville lights Xandria Alexis Weatherton (center left) of Vossburg’s candle during the Lamp Lighting portion of the Pinning Ceremony. Also pictured left to right are Dylan Walker of Laurel, Ethan Walters of Laurel, Xandria, Sha’Tyre, Karlmecia Jones of Southaven and Zepharah Jones of Jackson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Â鶹ֱ²¥ President, Dr. Jesse Smith congratulated the graduates and emphasized the impact their chosen profession will have on others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have embraced one of the noblest careers which makes life better for others,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThe comfort, strength and care they are going to give throughout their lives will make the world a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zepharah Jones of Jackson challenged the Level 1 Practical Nursing students as she reflected on the challenges of nursing school and the determination it took to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNursing school didn\u2019t break us to hurt us, but to show us the depth of our courage, compassion and calling,\u201d Jones shared. \u201cThis achievement is a testament to our faith, hard work, determination and resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jaylyn Geddie of Ellisville receives her pin from JC Diector of Practical Nursing, Amy Myers.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Her classmate, Jaylyn Geddie of Ellisville said completing the program was both difficult and rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders,\u201d Geddie said. \u201cIt was not easy at all, but I had the best teachers who made sure I did what I had to do to graduate. I\u2019m very thankful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the ceremony, faculty members presented three awards recognizing outstanding student achievement. Brittany Perry of Laurel received the Academic Excellence Award for earning the highest scholastic average in the program. Le\u2019Kenya Arrington of Ellisville was honored with the Rising Star Award for her dedication, growth and professionalism. The Florence Nightingale Award, recognizing compassion, integrity and selflessness, was presented to Zoe Clingon of Sandersville.<\/p>\n\n\n

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After receiving their nursing pins, faculty encouraged the new nurses to carry forward the values learned throughout the program and to continue serving their communities with skill, integrity and compassion. The 26 new graduates recited the Practical Nurse\u2019s Pledge and per tradition, the Pinning Ceremony ended by honoring the founder of nursing, Florence Nightingale\u2019s compassion, service and care with the Lighting of the Lamps. Nightingale used a lamp during the Crimean War to aid wounded soldiers and thereafter established the nursing profession.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Â鶹ֱ²¥ Practical Nursing Graduates December 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Le\u2019Kenya Ny-Asia Arrington, Ellisville<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Kayla Patterson Chapman, Ellisville<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Zoe Clingon, Sandersville<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Dyamond Coleman, Waynesboro<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Makayla Zahara Davis, Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Tamya Ja\u2019nae Edison, Collins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Jaylyn Geddie, Ellisville<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Kamya Graves, Heidelberg<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Kaiden Guy, Petal<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Brooklyn Holton, Gulfport<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Elisha Horne, Vossburg<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Kylee Hughes, Mt. Olive<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Sha\u2019 Tyre Hunter, Woodville<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Kivionna Johnson, Prentiss<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Karlmecia Jones, Southaven<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Zepharah Jones, Jackson<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. Jasmin Michelle King, Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  18. Jamia McCord, Grenada<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  19. Heidi Odom, Waynesboro<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  20. Madalynn Grace Owens, Bay Springs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  21. Brittany Perry, Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  22. Madison Tidwell, Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  23. Dylan Walker, Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  24. Ethan Walters, Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  25. Xandria Alexis Weatherton, Vossburg<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  26. Jeakayla Wright, Mobile, Alabama<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    ELLISVILLE \u2013 Recognizing the hard work, perseverance and dedication required to complete the Practical Nursing program, Â鶹ֱ²¥ faculty and administration honored the 26 graduates of Fall 2025 Practical Nursing class with a Pinning Ceremony. Family members, friends and faculty joined the college leadership to celebrate the graduates as they officially transitioned into the nursing … <\/p>\n

    Continue reading “Â鶹ֱ²¥ celebrates the grit & resilience of the newest Practical Nursing grads”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6406"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6406"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6416,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6406\/revisions\/6416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jcjc.edu\/jcnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}