Front row, left to right: Natasha Olson, Tia Burri, Karen Nicholson, Kristi Davis, Kristen Lee, Kristal Hying, Nichole Roberts. Second row, left to right: Nikki Lehr, Naudiana Jenson, Lisa Dykstra, Breanna Santiago, Dani Ekhtiari-Hein, Cassandra Weldy, Marissa Drost, Charnetha Bell-Johnson. Third row, left to right: Jaclyn Hayes, Carmillia Duling, Jessica Erickson, Jon Powers, Erica King, Megan Ottinger, April Washecheck.
With family, friends and faculty in attendance, 22 nursing students were recognized Thursday evening at Blackhawk Technical College for successfully completing their two-year nursing degree at a celebratory pinning ceremony.
“This ceremony isn’t just about receiving the pin. It is about honoring the journey we’ve taken to become nurses,” said Charnetha Bell-Johnson, Nursing graduate and student speaker.
Charnetha also was honored with the Student Choice Award, sponsored by the Nursing faculty. This award, determined by peer votes, is awarded to the graduate deemed most trustworthy to care for a loved one.
“We aren’t just marking the end of nursing school. We are stepping into a profession that demands courage, empathy and excellence. Let this pin be a daily reminder about the responsibility we carry, the lives we’ll touch, and the difference we’ll make,” Charnetha said.
Fellow graduate Breanna Santiago was also recognized for receiving a $3,000 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study nursing in London this summer.
The event, held in the Conference Center at the Beloit-Janesville Campus, also featured Nursing Instructors Patty Aronson and Mary Mather, who offered words of encouragement and shared advice from their own experiences in the profession. They reminded graduates of the value of community and camaraderie among nurses.
“Your nursing friends will become an indispensable part of your life as nurses,” Mary said.
Following their remarks, each graduate participated in the traditional pinning ceremony—a rite of passage with roots tracing back to Florence Nightingale in the 1860s. Inspired by the Red Cross of St. George medal she received from Queen Victoria, Nightingale began presenting medals to her students, a practice that evolved into the pinning ceremonies held at nursing programs around the world today.
At Blackhawk, graduates select a loved one to present their pin. Students also recited the Nightingale Pledge, a commitment to uphold their profession with care and dedication, similar to the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians.
Many of these new nurses have already secured positions serving patients in a wide range of healthcare settings, including labor and delivery, emergency departments, hospice care, geriatric psychiatry, intensive care units, cardiovascular care and acute care facilities.
Congratulations to the May 2025 Nursing Graduates:
- Charnetha Bell-Johnson
- Tia Burri
- Kristi Davis
- Marissa Drost
- Carmillia Duling
- Lisa Dykstra
- Dani Ekhtiari-Hein
- Jessica Erickson
- Naudiana Jenson
- Jaclyn Hayes
- Kristal Hying
- Erica King
- Kristen Lee
- Nikki Lehr
- Karen Nicholson
- Natasha Olson
- Megan Ottinger
- Jon Powers
- Nichole Robertson
- Breanna Santiago
- April Washecheck
- Cassandra Weldy
Blackhawk will hold two main commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17, at The Dream Center, 2460 Milwaukee Road, Beloit. The 9 a.m. ceremony will include graduates from Blackhawk’s University Transfer, Business, and Manufacturing, Apprenticeship, Technology & Transportation division programs. The 11:30 a.m. ceremony will include graduates from Health and Public Safety programs.
For more information on our Nursing program, visit blackhawk.edu/nursing.