More than 60 West Coast University-Ontario students celebrated the end of their bachelor of science in nursing program in September.
Friends and family gathered in Rancho Cucamonga to watch as the new grads took the stage at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center for the traditional nurse pinning ceremony on Sept. 6.
The day marked the end of a long journey for many of the students, who worked hard to overcome many obstacles along the way. Cohort student speaker Janicka Amador shared with everyone about some of challenges the cohort faced, such as long nights and missed family events as she asked her classmates to reflect on their time at WCU.
Amador also told her personal story of battling stage 2 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma while completing her BSN. Amador was told by her oncologist, faculty, family and classmates to take time off in order to focus on her health, she said, but that was never an option.
“I didn’t think that being here, at my pinning with my original cohort, in remission, would be possible,” Amador said, “but here I am to prove to myself and those around me that anything is possible.”
She went on to thank her cohort and family, as well as the WCU staff for pushing not only herself but everyone in the class to the finish line.
Afterwards, Amador and her classmates lined up and one by one were pinned, a symbol of their hard work and dedication in completing their degree.
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