Oklahoma Baptist University honored 24 graduating nurses during the College of Nursing’s Pinning Ceremony Thursday, May 12, at 3 p.m. The ceremony took place in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium on the OBU campus in Shawnee.
Dr. Joe Rawdon, OBU alumnus and assistant professor of nursing, led the invocation. OBU President 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 Dr. Allison Huebert, an alumna from the OBU class of ’92 and physician at Norman Regional Health System, addressed the graduating students.
A group of senior nursing students presented “It Is Well With My Soul” as a musical reflection during the ceremony. The group included Rachel McCloy, piano; Anice Hunter, vocals; Emily Joslin; vocals; Juliana Leppke, vocals; and Kylie Williams, vocals.
Following the musical reflection, graduating nurses received their pins from McHenry, including Amy Kristine Bartel, Hillsboro, Kansas; Jessica Danielle Beach, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Robin Lynn Brinkley, Shawnee, Oklahoma; Sheridan Lynne Crofford, Edmond, Oklahoma; Rachel Michelle Curry, Colleyville, Texas; Travis Michael DeWall, Enid, Oklahoma; Cyrena Faith Downs, Edmond; Sadie Machelle Dunaway, Choctaw, Oklahoma; Izoduwa L. Erhunmwunsee, Houston, Texas; Rachel Dawn Evans, Newalla, Oklahoma; Sydney Madison Fioretti, Edmond; Wendy Gale Fixico, Shawnee; Kayley Anice Hunter, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Emily Anne Joslin, Delta Junction, Alaska; Jennifer Marie Land, Denton, Texas; Juliana Lauryn Leppke, Corn, Oklahoma; Rachel Sue McCloy, Stinnett, Texas; Melissa Ann Mehtala, Shawnee; Haley R. Nickerson, North Richland Hills, Texas; Amanda D. Owen, Moore, Oklahoma; Callie K. Perdue, Yukon, Oklahoma; Melanie Diane Totty, Haslet, Texas; Sarah Michelle Wilkerson, Blanchard, Oklahoma; and Kylie Renee Williams, Chickasha, Oklahoma.
Dr. Nichole Jackson, assistant professor of nursing and OBU alumna from ’07 and ’11, delivered the charge to the students, and Dr. Tony Yates, associate professor of natural science, closed with 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. For more photos from the event, like the OBU Facebook page.
With campuses in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City, OBU offers 10 bachelor’s degrees with 88 fields of study and four master’s degree programs. The Christian liberal arts university has an overall enrollment of 1,986, 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 24 consecutive years and has been Oklahoma’s highest rated regional college in the U.S. News rankings for 22 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 11 consecutive years.
