The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing honored its Doctor of Nursing Practice students during the school’s DNP Graduation Ceremony on Monday, December 14. Friends and alumni viewed the graduation ceremony online, celebrating the accomplishments of the graduating class of 14 students.
The DNP Program prepares students to sit for credentialing examinations and graduates earn a DNP degree with an advanced practice specialty area. The ceremony was held via video conference in order to follow social distancing guidelines.
The event featured dynamic class and faculty speakers and a brief awards presentation honoring students who demonstrated excellence in leadership, service, collaboration, and personal character. The student award winners are:
- Silver Bowl Award -- Joshua Allen
- Excellence in Collaboration -- Emma Tyano and Erin Ferrer
- Excellence in Social Responsibility -- Autherine Abiri
- Excellence in Leadership -- Erin Brown
Student-nominated awards were also given to faculty on behalf of the Emory Student Nurses Association. These awards, known as the “Heart of the Students” awards, are given each year to staff and faculty who go above and beyond in their teaching and mentoring. This semester's Heart of the Students staff award was presented to Dr. Susan Swanson. The Heart of the Students faculty award was presented to Arnita Howard, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity Initiatives.
Student speaker Erin Ferrer spoke on the importance of support during this educational journey and thanked the faculty, staff, and clinical partners for helping the class of 2020 overcome the unique challenges they faced.
“If our goal is to be ready to create solutions for the most complex challenges,” explained Ferrer. “What a gift to be obtaining this degree within the context of systemic social injustice and a global pandemic. I believe that we are up for the task. Be proud of yourself for making it here.”
In the ceremony’s closing remarks, student speaker Emma Tyano encouraged her 14 peers to reflect on their successes and look forward with hope.
“Let’s use our education to innovate, heal and create our new normal,” said Tyano. “More than ever, this is our time; our time to demonstrate how we can shape the world.”
To view the full ceremony, visit our ceremony archives page, where you can find full recordings of each 2020 ceremony.