WCU-Dallas Celebrates Pinning of 34 BSN Graduates

Kendra Softly is confident that when she begins her nursing residency, she will be ready to serve the veteran population of north Texas.

Congratulations, graduates!

Chestina Booker
Sharon Bradshaw
Kathie Carmer
Ashley Castor
Diana Castrejon
Manuel Castro
Karlie Crambes
Tiffany Crow
Kaelan Curry
Quoneitha Finchum
Hailee Frederick
Michelle Gorden
Kourtnee Grimes
Asha Hall
Jane Hartman
Huda Hassan
Kayla Hidalgo
Elisabeth Kennard
Erica Landers
Emmy Le
Veronica Moreno
Grace Morgan
Nolan Nguyen
Callen Omurwa
Romina Pekas
Melissa Pester
Dung Pham
Lisa Randall
Joseph Sanders
Kendra Softly
Brittany Straughter
Jennifer Tran
Sondra WIlliams
Natashia Zachary

But first, she wanted to celebrate graduating with her 33 West Coast University classmates and their families at the Dallas cohort’s BSN pinning ceremony at the Irving Convention Center on July 8, 2016.

“Finding balance between being a full-time student and full-time mom was certainly a challenge,” Softly said, standing next to her 7-year-old son Mason. “It was a great sacrifice but now I’m ready to live it up with my son and my family, and be able to support them in whatever their dreams are as well.”

After the ceremony, Softly spoke with WCU-Dallas clinical education manager Xaquita Wicks and fellow BSN graduate Sharon Bradshaw. Bradshaw, who had led the WCU-Dallas cohort’s entrance into the room, was already working as an OR nurse for The Medical Center of Plano before graduating from WCU.

“It was very hard, very challenging, but overall a great time,” Bradshaw said.

A medic in the U.S. Army for nine years, Softly starts her post-baccalaureate RN residency program at the VA North Texas Health Care System in August.

“Completing this program gave me the tools I needed to help those in my community,” she said. “WCU offered much more than an education, it offered diversity and a staff that was genuinely concerned about my well-being.”

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