Blustering wind and soaking rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of 91 nursing students and hundreds of supporters who celebrated the completion of another academic year at Cochise College Thursday evening.

Lydia Goltz, a candidate to become a registered nurse, cheers on a fellow student during the Cochise College nursing recognition ceremony Thursday.

Throughout the pinning ceremony, which highlighted the accomplishments of those completing their first and second years of nursing school, students rose to their feet numerous times to cheer for guest speaker James King, for nursing faculty and staff, and for each other. Supporters filled nearly every seat in the Douglas Campus gymnasium after college staff scrambled to relocate and test the necessary equipment prior to the start of the ceremony, which normally takes place outside the campus library.

Despite the change in plans, the ceremony went off without a hitch, with Dr. Karen Nicodemus, college president noting the positive experience she and her family had with nurses prior to the death of a family member.

“What you do makes a difference in our lives and those of many families,” she said.

At an earlier reception, the Copper Queen Community Hospital awarded five $1,000 Brooks Family Scholarships to nursing students entering the second year of the program. The scholarship funds were left to the hospital by Ted and Beth Brooks, who were appreciative of the quality of care they received at CQCH.

“The scholarships wouldn’t exist without the kind of care CQCH nurses provide,” said Jim Dickson, hospital CEO.

Recipients Britnee Betancourt, Cynthia Danielle Escarcega, Lacy Lack, April Power, and Danielle Yarbrough were selected based on academic standing and unmet financial need. The scholarships were presented by Jim Dickson and Ruth Kish of CQCH.

Registered nurse candidates Lisa Coste and Elizabeth Elizando also were awarded $3,000 Cochise College Nursing Scholarships provided by the Women’s and Children’s Hope Foundation.

“This helps us get by and pay for gas and tuition,” Yarbrough said. “And it puts less pressure on us to work and lets us focus on our studies.”

Guest speaker King, selected by the nursing students to address the group, has worked in healthcare since 1974, when he was in the U.S. Navy. Remarking that “nurses are the backbone of healthcare today,” King discussed the current nursing shortage, a need for more seats in training programs, and an overview of what it takes to join the program at Cochise College. A nurse anesthetist in Nogales who teaches pharmacology, King is married to a nurse, and his daughter is among those completing her first year in the program.

Recognized during the ceremony was Rody Ramirez, a graduate of the first Cochise College nursing class who worked many years at Southeast Arizona Medical Center and with clinical students, and who is retiring. Student Joseph Kemling received the Academic Excellence Award, earning top grades throughout his training. Marissa Martinez, daughter of former Cochise College instructor Janet Martinez-Bernal, and Frank Lara, retired Douglas fire chief, also were among the graduates.

Those who have completed their first year of nursing school are eligible to sit for the state certification exam to become a practical nurse. Second-year students also must pass a state exam before they can work as registered nurses.

 

Practical Nurse Candidates

Brenda Allen

Nina Allen

Steve Anderson

Mary Balderston

Jennifer Balog

Britnee Betancourt

Sandra Bradford

Michael Briere

Gabriela Calvillo

Tracie Camarillo

Lydia Chavez

Samantha Coon

Clarissa Elias

Cynthia Escarcega

Chrisann Foret

Theresa French

Melinda Gerlofs

Jacob Gulden

Keisha Hooper

Maria Ibarra

John James

Elizabeth King

Peter Knapp

Lacey Lack

Angelika Lopez

Elissa Martin

Ashley McCarty

Lisa Meneghini

Kristen Miller

Kristi Moran

Callie Murray

Melissa Nelson

April Power

Jennifer Resto

Joann Robertson

Gabriel Robinson

Celina Sanchez

Jennifer Sanchez

Natalie Sanchez

Osa Sanchez

Nicola Schultz

Erin Silva

Oana Stratman

Kendra Tanner

Karen Thomas

Kendie Tilden

Francisca Villaseñor

Jennifer Vining

Carinna Yakush

Danielle Yarbrough

Registered Nurse Candidates

Monica Arrieta

Martin Arvizu

Maureen Bay

Diana Chavez

Samantha Conroy

Lisa Coste

Heather Cromwell

Chris Cunanan

Travis Davis

Shannon Diaz

Marianna Dobbins

Janeth Eckler

Elizabeth Elizando

Ronald Ellsworth

Sarah Garcia

Jackie Gautier

Lydia Goltz

Sonia Guerrero

Joseph Kemling

Emily Kerber

Lynn Kling

Juliann (Jazz) Lane

Frank Lara

Lauren Ligon

Marissa (Cat) Martinez

Rebecka Mckearney

Nancy McLaughlin

Alicia Montiel

Marissa Nunez

Lacey Nylen

Adrianne Oldfield

Lina Penunuri

Jessica Pinnix

Lesley Reed

Angela Saavedra

Felicia Schmidt

John Shelley

Stephanie Smith

Erin Tasch

Christine Valenzuela

Jean Webb