College of Western Idaho (CWI) honored 15 Practical Nursing (PN) graduates during a traditional pinning ceremony Thursday, Dec. 11, at Saint Alphonsus’ McCleary Auditorium in Boise. Joined by family, friends, faculty, and staff, the 2025 Cohort celebrated the completion of their program and the beginning of their nursing careers.
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from Department Chair of Nursing, Allison Baker, who congratulated the graduates and reflected on the meaning of the pinning ceremony. Baker explained that the pin represents dedication, resilience, and the trust patients and families place in nurses.
“Tonight, we celebrate not just the completion of a program, but the beginning of a lifelong commitment to care, compassion, and excellence in nursing,” Baker said.
Throughout the evening, speakers returned to a common theme: nursing as a calling shaped by perseverance and heart. Provost Denise Aberle-Cannata acknowledged the sacrifices graduates made along the way and reminded them that doubt is often part of growth.
“When you began, many of you wondered if you had what it takes and yet, here you are,” Aberle-Cannata said. “Our graduates are known for being well prepared, and that is a testament to your faculty and your hard work.”
For the graduates themselves, the journey was defined by community. Student speakers Jenay Furman and Lillyana Salinas, chosen by their classmates, reflected on how a group of individuals became a support system sharing challenges, encouragement, and small victories along the way.
“We started as nervous strangers and became a support system,” Furman said. “I’m proud of every one of us for hanging in there.”
Salinas, the first in her family to graduate from college and enter the nursing profession, spoke about resilience and possibility, reminding her classmates that the challenges they faced together prepared them for what lies ahead.
“Tonight marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another,” Salinas said. “We are proof that anything is possible with determination.”
As each graduate was pinned by an instructor, the ceremony marked the transition from student to nurse, a moment that formally closed one chapter and opened another.
Graduates are now eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
The evening also paused to recognize excellence through the Nightingale Award, presented to Bailey White, whose peers selected her for exemplifying compassion, integrity, and dedication to patient care.
The ceremony concluded with the removal of the final link from the class countdown chain, a symbolic reminder that while the program has ended, the work ahead is just beginning.
“Graduates, you are ready,” Practical Nursing Instructor, Cherie Wilson. “You have been trained, challenged, and supported. Trust your knowledge, your skills, and your compassion. We are incredibly proud of you.”
