Family, friends, faculty, and staff filled the Nampa Civic Center on Wednesday, May 14, to celebrate College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Registered Nursing Class of 2026 during the program’s annual pinning ceremony. The event honored graduates as they marked the completion of the Associate of Science in Registered Nursing program and prepare to begin their careers as professional nurses.
The evening opened with remarks from Nursing Department Chair, Allison Baker, who reflected on the significance of the tradition and the commitment required to reach graduation.
“The pinning ceremony is one of the most cherished traditions in nursing,” Baker said. “It marks the transition from student to professional nurse, symbolizing not only achievement but responsibility. The pin each graduate receives this evening is much more than a symbol. It represents countless hours of study, clinical experiences, personal growth, resilience through challenges, and the trust that future patients and families will place in your hands.”
Baker praised graduates for the resilience, empathy, and determination they demonstrated throughout the rigorous program and encouraged them to carry those qualities into their careers.
Following Baker, CWI Provost, Denise Aberle-Cannata, congratulated the graduates and recognized the challenges they overcame during their time in the program. She also noted the class was the first to graduate from CWI’s new Nampa Campus Health and Science Building (NCHS).
“You will care for people on their best days and on their hardest,” Aberle-Cannata said. “You will be present for new beginnings, unexpected diagnosis, recovery, grief, hope, and healing. In many moments, patients may not remember every medication or procedure, but they will remember how you made them feel. They will remember whether someone saw them, heard them, and cared. That is the power of nursing.”
The ceremony also featured remarks from student speakers, Nathan Barraclough and Mandy Thompson, who reflected on the experiences, challenges, and relationships that shaped the cohort over the past two years.
Barraclough shared how his own childhood experience battling bone marrow cancer inspired him to pursue nursing. He credited the nurses who cared for him with leaving a lasting impact on his life and said he hopes to provide the same encouragement and compassion to future patients.
“We are called to impact the lives of those we will end up caring for,” Barraclough said. “It could be second nature to us in the future, but I believe each patient interaction is an opportunity to change someone's life forever.”
Thompson spoke about the perseverance required throughout the program and the support students found in one another while balancing family responsibilities, work, and personal hardships alongside nursing school.
“One of the most incredible things about this cohort is that we never did it alone,” Thompson said. “We became a support structure, a safety net, and a team.”
Faculty then transitioned into the pinning portion of the ceremony, where graduates were individually recognized and pinned by loved ones, friends, and faculty members in honor of their achievement and transition into the nursing profession. Thirty-one graduates were honored during the pinning ceremony.
During the ceremony, the 2026 Nightingale Award was presented to graduate, Diamond States. Selected by classmates through anonymous voting, the award recognizes a student who best represents the values of the nursing profession, including compassion, professionalism, dedication, and knowledge.
The ceremony concluded with the traditional lighting ceremony led by Assistant Professor, Balenda Snow. The candle-lighting tradition honors Florence Nightingale, known as the “Lady of the Lamp,” and symbolizes the light of nursing knowledge graduates carry forward into their careers.
“May you remain steadfast in your devotion to those entrusted to your care,” Snow said. “May you pursue new knowledge with curiosity and a drive for excellence. Above all, may your light shine brightly, not only within the clinical setting, but throughout the communities where your leadership and expertise will make a lasting difference.”
Watch the 2026 Nurse Pinning Ceremony
Ready to make a difference through a career in Registered Nursing or healthcare? Visit CWI’s Nursing and Health Sciences Academic and Career Pathways page to explore programs that prepare students for in-demand careers focused on promoting health, wellness, and caring for others.
