The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Spring 2020 Cohort was celebrated with a virtual recognition luncheon on April 26 at 12 p.m. 

Michelle Hartman, assistant dean, ABSN program, began the event with a few words and introductions.

"On behalf of the faculty and staff, we want to extend our congratulations and to let you know that we are so proud of you and your accomplishments," she said. "While we will miss seeing you here in our school, we know that you are going out into the world to make a difference as nurses and nurse leaders."

As the event progressed, students and faculty came on to introduce the people being formally recognized for their excellence. Before Hartman closed the event, student speaker Aurora Gaines delivered a few remarks: 

"In the last year, I've had to hone my idea of what I find meaningful, having a voice and advocacy acknowledgement and validation, being okay with messing up and remembering why I chose nursing," she said. "These are what hold value. Our words are more than what we say. It is how we empower those around us to speak more confidently.

It is also speaking with the action of listening. You do not always need to be the loudest voice in the room to be heard. When your time comes to speak up, I implore you. I beg you. Speak your opinions. Your experiences, your perspectives, matter.

We all have expectations. How we think, look, feel, act at the end of a certain goal, ideals of relationships, jobs, joys that might be fulfilled, expectations are often part of our value system.

Well, this year didn't exactly mirror our expectations, did it? I think that goes for more than just the obvious. Individually and collectively, our expectations were constantly required to shift with changing times. With that, I hope each of us looked in the mirror and can recognize that this was a hard year. We surpassed our own expectations of ourselves, and, like taking a wrong turn and ending up exactly where you were meant to be, we are exactly where we are meant to be."

A full program, list of names of those recognized and the names of the cohort can be found on our website.