Twenty-nine members of the Alderson Broaddus University School of Nursing Class of 2021 will be recognized during an in-person ceremony on Friday, May 7, for the senior nursing convocation. The event recognizes the accomplishments of the graduating nursing students and marks the successful transition from student to nursing professional.
This year’s convocation marks a special milestone for Alderson Broaddus University. In 1945, AB began offering the first-ever four-year nursing program in West Virginia. Dr. Hu C. Myers, B.S., M.D., F.A.C.S., Sc.D. (H), was the founder and for eight years the director of the nation’s first-degree program for Physician’s Assistants at Alderson Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, and a lifetime governor of the university. He was educated at Alderson Broaddus and a member of the Class of 1920. On May 18, 1946, he addressed the first nursing class of Alderson Broaddus College, and today, 75 years later, we honor Dr. Hu C. Myers’s contributions to AB and our community by sharing his words of wisdom with the Class of 2021.
Professor of Nursing Dr. Joan Propst ’79, EdD, RN, will be reading the convocation address given by Dr. Hu C. Myers to the first nursing class, a homage to the tradition of excellence and accomplishment of AB’s nursing students and graduates.
The pinning ceremony, a time-honored tradition of nursing schools across the country, signifies the completion of one of the most challenging curricula offered in higher education. “I am extremely proud of each of our 2021 nursing graduates,” explained Dr. Kim White, associate professor and chair of the School of Nursing. “These students have gone above and beyond in clinical hours and volunteering in the community. Our students assisted in local schools, hospitals, community centers, and clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations while completing their hospital clinical rotations. They are truly representative of what has been accomplished over 75 years of providing our students the highest quality education.”
The Class of 2021 includes: Brittany Amtower from New Creek, W.Va.; Marcella Baisden from Poca, W.Va.; Megan Bubnar from Philippi, W.Va.; Charmaine Cameron from Elkridge, Md.; Carmen Cline from Philippi, W.Va.; Hayleigh Corcoran from Elkins, W.Va.; Morgan Creamer from Cumberland, Md.; Emily Davis from Frametown, W.Va.; Brooke Dinehart from Penn Yan, N.Y.; Michelle Duncan from Palmyra, Va.; Genevieve Dzikunu from Gaithersburg, Md.; Dustin Hern from Glenville, W.Va.; Leslie Hyre from Parsons, W.Va.; Karissa Koons from Lagrange, Ky.; Maria Labrador from Milpitas, Calif.; Nichole Miller from Keyser, W.Va.; Jordan Morgan from Oceana, W.Va.; Peter Oben from Bel Air, Md.; Caitlyn Perry from Georgetown, Ky.; Katelyn Shrader from Beverly, W.Va.; Kelsey Shrader from Orrville, Ohio; Nikki Shriver from Philippi, W.Va.; Melissa Spark from Grafton, W.Va.; Cari Speece from Ravenswood, W.Va.; Haley Tucker from Fairmont, W.Va.; Diane Uzodinma from Germantown, Md.; Nikki Wilson from Keyser, W.Va.; Erica Wines from Charleston, W.Va.; and Heather Wright from Philippi, W.Va.
The Class of 2021 will also participate in AB’s formal commencement ceremony on May 8. Alderson Broaddus offers several nursing programs for students seeking flexible schedules and options for those beginning their nursing education or looking to further their education to support their career goals.
About Alderson Broaddus University
Alderson Broaddus University is an independent institution of higher learning, committed to serving the region as an academic, cultural, and religious resource, with programs based on a liberal arts foundation.
The mission of AB is to provide students with the highest quality education, striving to prepare students to succeed in their chosen disciplines and to fulfill their roles in a diverse society as well-rounded and responsible citizens.
Since its founding in 1871, AB has been a leader and innovator in higher education, with accolades in the health and natural sciences. Alderson Broaddus University stands out as one of the most innovative health education providers in Appalachia, pioneering the nation’s first baccalaureate physician assistant program of its kind in 1968, a post-baccalaureate physician assistant master’s degree program in 1993, and West Virginia’s first baccalaureate nursing program in 1945.
AB is located on a historic hilltop in Barbour County in Philippi, West Virginia. The University is rooted in historic and continuing relationships with the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. and the West Virginia Baptist Convention.
For more information about AB, visit www.ab.edu.
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