Department of Nursing Honors Graduating Seniors at Annual Pinning Ceremony

The Department of Nursing recognized graduating seniors during its annual Nursing Pinning Ceremony, held at the Dionne Warwick Theatre, celebrating students’ completion of the nursing program and their transition into the healthcare profession. The ceremony brought together faculty, family members and invited guests to honor students’ academic achievement, perseverance and readiness to enter professional practice. 

The pinning tradition represents a significant milestone for nursing students, symbolizing their commitment to ethical standards, patient care and lifelong learning. The Department of Nursing’s Pinning Ceremony Tradition began in 2005, and for many graduates, the ceremony marked the culmination of years of rigorous coursework, clinical training, and personal growth within the program. 

Layla Trammell, a nursing major in the Class of 2025, completed the program in four and a half years and reflected on the challenges and rewards of her journey through nursing school. “There were a lot of trials along the way, but it was all worth it,” Trammell said. “I built strong relationships with my professors and classmates, learned life-saving skills and gained confidence in what I know and what I still need to learn.” Trammell credited early instruction in the program with shaping her clinical decision-making and professional confidence and will begin working in February at MedStar Washington Hospital Center on the surgical oncology unit through a nurse residency program. 

The ceremony also recognized Bailey Wallace, a nursing graduate who described the pinning as the realization of a long-term goal. “I worked hard to get to this point, and now I’m proud of myself and ready to focus on what comes next,” Wallace said. Wallace plans to begin her nursing career at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, is currently preparing for the NCLEX licensure exam and hopes to return to school in the future to become a nurse practitioner and eventually teach at a historically Black college or university. 

The Nursing Pinning Ceremony reflects the university’s ongoing commitment to preparing skilled, compassionate healthcare professionals who serve their communities with excellence and cultural awareness, while marking both the completion of students’ academic journeys and the beginning of their professional careers