Oklahoma Baptist University honored 28 graduating nurses during the College of Nursing’s Pinning Ceremony Thursday, May 18, at 3 p.m. The ceremony took place in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium on the OBU campus in Shawnee.
Dr. Nichole Jackson, assistant professor of nursing and OBU alumna from ’07 and ’11, led the invocation. OBU President Dr. David W. Whitlock welcomed the graduates and their guests.
Dr. Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, dean of the OBU College of Nursing, made introductions and greeted the graduates and guests, while Pam Malloy, ’74, director of end-of-life nursing education with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, addressed the graduating students.
A group of senior nursing students presented “What a Beautiful Name” by Hillsong as a musical reflection during the ceremony.
Graduating nurses then received their pins from McHenry, including April Cannon, Tulsa; Bridget Burton, Springdale, Arkansas; Hannah Christian, Elk City, Oklahoma; Rachel Detweiler, Corn, Oklahoma; Miranda Dozier, Denver, Colorado; Ashley Eubanks, Dallas, Texas; Hannah Evans, Chandler, Oklahoma; Christine Ferguson, Fort Worth, Texas; Bailey Garrett, Sand Springs, Oklahoma; Christin Garvey, Gainesville, Texas; Kyra Gilbert, Oklahoma City; Cory Grant, Denton, Texas; Kirsty Green, Joplin, Missouri; Kelsey Hays, Tecumseh, Oklahoma; Jennifer Holdridge, Moore, Oklahoma; Alexandra Lanphear, Independence, Missouri; Maci Lewis, Elmore City, Oklahoma; Catherine Lingo, Yukon, Oklahoma; Kierra Mattingly, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Jennifer McMartin, Mankato, Minnesota; Morgan Minx, Enid, Oklahoma; Kristi Neighbors, Marland, Oklahoma; Macy Palmer, Sand Springs, Oklahoma; Gracelyn Perkins, Colorado Springs; Brittney Roberts, Shawnee; Tucker Schultz, New Castle, Colorado; Katie Stiles, Denton, Texas; and Jade Young, Belfast, N. Ireland.
Megan Smith, ’14, assistant professor of nursing, delivered the charge to graduates, and Dr. Karen Cotter, ’94, assistant professor of nursing, led the benediction.
The OBU nursing program was the first baccalaureate nursing program in the state of Oklahoma and the first baccalaureate program in Oklahoma accredited by the National League of Nursing. It has maintained continuous accreditation, currently through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, throughout its history. Founded in 1952, the first graduation took place in 1956 with 10 students. Since then, the OBU College of Nursing has graduated more than 1,200 nurses with baccalaureate nursing degrees. The College of Nursing is housed in the new Jane E. and Nick K. Stavros Hall located to the north of Shawnee Hall on OBU’s Campus.
For more information on the OBU College of Nursing, visit www.okbu.edu/nursing.
With its campus in Shawnee, and locations in Oklahoma City and Broken Arrow, OBU offers 10 bachelor’s degrees with 88 fields of study and five master’s degree programs.
The Christian liberal arts university has an overall enrollment of 2,073, with students from 40 states and 35 other countries. OBU has been rated as one of the top 10 regional colleges in the West by U.S. News and World Report for 25 consecutive years and has been Oklahoma’s highest rated regional college in the U.S. News rankings for 23 consecutive years. OBU is one of three universities in Oklahoma and the only private Oklahoma university listed on Great Value College’s rankings of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Midwest. Forbes.com consistently ranks OBU as a top university in Oklahoma and the Princeton Review has named OBU one of the best colleges and universities in the western United States for 12 consecutive years.
