MC School of Nursing students step into profession of healing during pinning ceremony

The MC School of Nursing will welcome graduates into the profession of nursing during the Pinning Ceremony on the eve of Winter Commencement.

Dozens of Mississippi College nursing students who will graduate from the University this December will be formally recognized into the nursing profession during a pinning ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in Nelson Hall’s Swor Auditorium on the Clinton campus.

Jordan Owen, instructor in the MC School of Nursing, said the ceremony marks a transition period for the students.

“Pinning is always an exciting time for our students as it symbolizes them stepping out of the role of the student and into the role of the nurse,” Owen said. “To many nursing students, it is as important as the actual graduation ceremony.”

That may be true for Mary Sampson, a senior accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing student from Jackson, who is set to receive her pin, which bears the graduate’s name or initials and the University’s name.

“The ceremony is deeply meaningful to me because it represents the moment I officially step into the career I’ve dreamed of since I was a child,” Sampson said. “Since graduating high school, I’ve spent years studying, searching and trying to figure out what direction my life was meant to take. Nursing finally gave me the clarity, passion and fulfillment I had been praying for.”

Alex Dougherty, a senior accelerated BSN student from Clinton, said the pin is emblematic of nursing students’ willingness to embrace every opportunity and challenge.

“Through many long nights and early mornings, we have worked hard to get to this point, the transition from student nurse to nurse,” Dougherty said. “I’m looking forward to being part of a tradition that connects us to the first school of nursing established by Florence Nightingale. We’re very excited to share this moment with our family, friends, and the faculty who have supported us along the way.

“I could not be more excited.”

Dr. Caley C. Stogner, an MC School of Nursing alum and the 2025 Nursing Young Alumna of the Year, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker. An assistant professor of nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Nursing, Stogner is a specialist in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

In addition to the distinctive nursing pin, each graduating student will receive a yellow rose, an emblem rooted in the MC School of Nursing. Roses were presented to members of the first graduating class of nurses more than 50 years ago, and they have remained a tradition championed by MC alumnus Susan Richardson, a member of that original class, ever since.

Recipients of nursing awards and honors also will be recognized during the ceremony. School of Nursing faculty will perform a Blessing of the Hands, consecrating each student into the ministry of nursing. The graduates will recite the MC School of Nursing Creed and perform the ceremonial lighting of the nursing lamps, signaling that their duties as nurses have begun. A benediction will conclude the ceremony.

“I am truly grateful to join a profession that blends heart, science and service,” Sampson said. “I look forward to that single moment when the pin is placed. For me, it represents perseverance, growth and discovering who I truly am. It marks the transition from being a student to stepping fully into the healthcare professional I’ve always envisioned becoming.”