Harford Community College Holds Pinning Ceremony for Summer Nursing Graduates

Photo credit: Ujen Jonchhe, Harford Community College

A Pinning Ceremony for Harford Community College’s summer 2026 associate degree nursing graduates was held on August 18 in the Chesapeake Theater on the College campus. There were 23 graduates from the program this summer.

The event was hosted by the College’s Division of Nursing and Allied Health Professions with Dr. Ashley Meisel, Dean for Nursing and Allied Health Professions. 

Director of Nursing Education Amanda Girardi, PhD, RN, CNE, welcomed everyone to the ceremony. Congratulatory remarks were offered by Dr. Meisel and Dr. Theresa B. Felder, President of Harford Community College. Nursing faculty Deanna Garza, MSN, RN, CNS, and Jessica Powers, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, presented the pins, and Nursing faculty Lena Alban, MS, RN, CNE, and Shana Skeffrey, PhD, MSN, RN, handed the lamps to the graduates. Nursing faculty Mary Kate Wiegand, MSN, RN, CNE, CCRN, read the names of the graduates. Nursing faculty Alison Kurtz, MSN, RN, led the graduates and all nurses in attendance in reciting the International Council of Nurses’ Pledge.  Clinical Nursing Faculty Jackie Stone, BSN, RN, and Pamela Sanderson, MSN, RN PCCN, presented roses to the graduates. Shayne Litz was the graduating class speaker.

In addition to nursing uniforms worn by all graduates, members of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society and the Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society wore special cords to designate their membership. Two students received recognition awards: Josephine Gentry received the Spalding Leadership Award – Art of Nursing and Shayne Litz received the Spalding Leadership Award – Science of Nursing. Meighan Winner received the Maryland Nurses Association District 7 Leadership Award. The Schwaber Scholarship recipients are Hannem Kestel and Mary Wanjiru Kiriro.

The nursing students who were pinned during the ceremony included Morgan Borkowicz, Altina Carter, Brandi Davis, Christina DiMartino, Anice Edwards, Josephine Gentry, Justin Harry, Krishuana Houston, Brandon Jones, Hannem Kestel, Mary Wanjiru Kiriro, Kayla Lijewski, Shayne Litz, Juliet Okey-Uhegwu, Kaitlin Palomo, Lena Sadeghi, Jade Sayers, Amanda Shaneybrook, Richa Sharma Ghimire, Brei Waugh, Meighan Winner, Rhiannon Zavala Estrada, and Nicole Zent.