Blinn celebrates 46 new Associate Degree Nursing graduates

Blinn ADN graduates rank among the state leaders on the national licensure exam

May 6, 2024

The Blinn College District’s nationally recognized Associate Degree Nursing Program celebrated the accomplishments of 46 new graduates Saturday, May 4, with a pinning ceremony at Grace Bible Church in College Station.

“As they begin their careers as skilled nurses, these graduates embody the dedication and compassion that define our profession,” said Karla Ross, Associate Degree Nursing Program Director. “Their pinning ceremony marks not just the culmination of their academic journey, but the beginning of a career in which they will make an indelible impact on the lives of their patents.”

The spring 2024 graduating class includes Catalina Sarai Benavides (Laredo), Nick Bowling, Hannah Nicole Brockett (Iola), Lyric Brooks (Brenham), Sophie Brooks (Frisco), Amy Burkett (Plantersville), Angelica Carillo Leal (College Station), Summer Cobb (Paradise), Elexus Delaine Cooper (Lexington), Jessica Cornell (Bryan), Madison Fagan (San Marcos, Calif.), Tabitha Fuson-Ray, Quintesha Garrett (Navasota), Kyle Harris (Bryan), Hope Elizabeth Hodge (Houston), Kelsey Hurry (Waller), Tommi Michelle Ivey (College Station), Elena O. Jaimes Bailon (Bryan), Lauren Kmiec (Brenham), Gabby Kovasovic (Somerville), Eliza Lehmann (Tomball), Holly Lingenfelter (Quetzaltenango, Guatemala), Leticia Martinez (Normangee), Monika McDermott (St. George, Utah), Hannah McMath, Dynanna Murphy (Iola), Jaqueline Roxana Navarrete (Dallas), Luvia Garcia Norris (Bryan), Laura Nunez Gabino (Bryan), Maria Paniagua (Brenham), Ava Pasalar (Houston), Brenda Pizarro (Brenham), Shannon Cholthida Proctor (Cypress), Masann Rice (Yoakum), Betty Rodriguez, Naomi Rodriguez (Brenham), Jazem Saripada (College Station), Christina Serrano (La Grange), Katherine Altrina Sims (Brawley, Calif.), Shea Smith (Jewett), Toni M. Stennett (Buffalo), Kara Strzelecki (League City), Chloe Brett Sutton (Georgetown), Alison Terry, Lauren Walla (Navasota), and Albert Willingham (Benbrook).

Carillo Leal, McDermott, Pasalar, and Sutton each graduate as members of Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society. Alpha Delta Nu students must maintain a 3.5 grade-point average both overall and in their nursing courses. Members also must complete a capstone project and demonstrate conduct reflecting integrity and professionalism.

Blinn’s two-year program prepares students for nursing careers and for transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year university. Students who complete Blinn’s ADN Program and pass the national licensure exam have a job placement rate between 97 and 100% and are qualified for a wide array of nursing positions, including pediatric, geriatric, hospice, school, and clinical nursing. With demand soaring in the nursing field, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses earn a median salary of $86,070.

Blinn’s ADN Program is based at the RELLIS Academic Alliance Complex at Texas A&M-RELLIS in Bryan, where students gain hands-on skills utilizing the facility’s 16,000-square-foot simulation laboratories.

Nursing students spend at least two days per week in clinical rotations, in addition to lab, simulation, and lecture time. Most students dedicate 15 to 24 hours each week to scheduled program activities and at least 30 hours per week on study and preparation.

Blinn’s ADN Program has partnered with the Texas A&M School of Nursing to provide students with an affordable pathway to their bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). The Aggie Student-Centered Express Nursing Degree (ASCEND) Program allows students to co-enroll with both schools to earn their ADN degree with Blinn and their BSN with Texas A&M in as little as one additional semester. Blinn also maintains transfer partnerships with other universities including Sam Houston State University.

As a result of this success, Blinn has been recognized by Nursing Schools Almanac, NursingProcess.org, RNCareers.org, and RegisteredNursing.org.

For more information about Blinn’s ADN Program, visit www.blinn.edu/adn.