“We recognize that this is very different. But you are the class of 2020. You are the ones who are blazing the trail.”
— Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham, Dean of TWU's School of Nursing
After missing their spring graduation ceremony in April, TWU Nursing graduates were recognized on September 25 in an outdoor pinning ceremony at Trinity Western’s Langley campus. The pinning ceremony is a centuries-old tradition for welcoming nurses into the profession that is practiced worldwide.
This special ritual for new nurses was hosted this week at TWU with options to join in-person or virtually via Facebook Live.
TWU Dean of the School of Nursing, Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham, welcomed students from an outdoor tent set up on the lawn next to the Marlie Snider Collegium on campus.
“This is such a happy afternoon,” she said, “I know you’ve already been nurses and doing all sorts of amazing things. But here we are at Trinity Western University to celebrate you on pinning day.”
“We recognize that this is very different,” Reimer-Kirkham said, “But you are the class of 2020. You are the ones who are blazing the trail.”
Of the 57 Nursing students who graduated this year, 42 attended the pinning ceremony in person.
A special congratulations went to Christy Martin, who won the Academic Award for achieving the highest overall GPA in Nursing courses, and Jyoti Kaur, who won the NNPBC Professionalism Award for her leadership, innovation and outstanding professionalism.
In addition to the class of 2020 Nursing graduates, TWU faculty and staff, as well as TWU family and friends, joined the event in person and online. TWU Provost Bob Wood delivered congratulatory remarks by way of a letter read aloud by Reimer-Kirkham.
About 30 years ago, Trinity Western’s School of Nursing became the second program to be established in the province of BC, with the first class opening in 1993. The School of Nursing’s motto is, “Think deeply, act justly, and care generously.”
Every School of Nursing graduate at TWU receives a ceremonial pin that has the University’s insignia of the torch. At this Friday’s ceremony, graduates were called up one by one to retrieve their pins. There were no handshakes, but there were plenty of smiles and applauding, as well as virtual “likes” and comments.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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