The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing honored its Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing December graduates during the school’s ABSN Winter Awards Ceremony Friday, December 14. Hundreds of families, friends, and alumni were present to celebrate the accomplishments of the school’s undergraduate students. The graduating class included a total of 101 students. Four of these students are legacy graduates. Graduates include those from Pakistan, Jamaica and Vietnam.
The ABSN Winter Awards Ceremony was held at the Glenn Memorial Auditorium. The event featured two class speakers and an awards presentation honoring students who demonstrated excellence in leadership, service, collaboration, innovation, and personal character. The student award winners are as follows:
Award of Excellence – Kiah Ford
Excellence in Collaboration – Casey Detwiler
Excellence in Social Responsibility – De’Von Cross
Excellence in Innovation – Allie Schlitz
Excellence in Leadership – Katherine Tipton
In collaboration with the Emory Nurses’ Alumni Association, the School of Nursing also paid tribute to outstanding students with the distribution of the Silver Bowl Award, the highest student honor. Case Nafziger received this year’s ABSN Silver Bowl Award.
Student-nominated awards were also given to faculty members on behalf of the Emory Student Nurses Association. These awards, known as the “Heart of the Students” awards, are given each year to faculty members who go above and beyond in their teaching and mentoring. This year’s “Heart of the Students” award was presented to Assistant Clinical Professor Ann Horrigan.
ABSN class speaker, Kiah Ford, said some students would go on to work in their first bedside jobs and others will continue on with masters programs. But regardless of where they end up, Ford knows they will be successful.
“All of our backgrounds have come together to form an amazingly talented group of nurses,” said Ford.
Much like Ford, student speaker, Jamie Quinlan, said she has very high hopes for the future of her cohort.
“I cannot wait to see the remarkable things that each of my classmates will accomplish in the future,” said Quinlan.