Student's brother attends virtually as GCC nursing continues 150-year-old tradition

Germanna continues longtime nurse pinning rite of passage as student’s brother attends via Google Hangout from N.C.

Germanna Community College nursing and health technology students took part in today’s traditional pinning ceremony at the Fredericksburg Expo Center this afternoon, prior to GCC’s commencement ceremony.

The pinning ceremony welcomes graduates into the profession. Nurses then wear the pins to show where they went to college, much as they would college rings. The tradition is believed to have begun at the Nightingale School of Nursing in London in 1860.

A crowd of over 1,000 attended the pinning ceremony this afternoon. Over 2,500 attended the commencement ceremony this evening.

The lamp lighting ceremony is symbolic tribute to Florence Nightingale, who’s considered the mother of nursing.

Winners of annual nursing student awards:

• The Kathryn Korzenewski Award– Rhys Williams
• The Dr. Jane R. Ingalls Professional Excellence Award–Tara Summers.
• The Mary Blessing Gilkey Spirit Award–Rebecca Weigeshoff and Jennfer Fortin
• The Dale Featherston Perseverance Award–Stacey Shepherd.
• The Martha Jackson Mentorship Award– Allison Mann
• The Florence Nightingale Award for RN students– Elizabeth D’Sani
• The LaSalla-Henry Award—Hector Nunez
• The Florence Nightingale Award for LPN students –Matthew Kovach.
• The Academic Excellence Award for Practical Nursing—Crystal Short

Below, GCC nursing grad Amy Holman’s brother Aaron Mitchell Holman uses Google Hangout to extend his enthusiastic support for his sister from North Carolina, “attending” the ceremony virtually. He watched the 150-year-old rite of passage and cheered her on remotely via smart phone.