Besides earning my degree, I was chosen as the Class President and had the honor of delivering the final speech at our pinning ceremony on May 23rd. A auditorium full of families, friends, significant others, children, instructors, and college dignitaries...no pressure there. But here it is...I had to make a few adjustments as they didn't want any "names" used...but this was my original speech.
Did I mention before starting it, I got up on stage and took a selfie of the class...which definitely broke the ice, especially when I realized I took a pic of the big screen instead! Leave it to me!
Pinning Speech 2017
The three little words we have all waited to here…WE
MADE IT!
Two years, 2000 hours of lost sleep, tears, and
pre-test tachycardia, we can finally say we did it!!!
Two years ago, we all made a choice, before even
knowing each other, to take a chance on ourselves and begin a journey into what
I would call one of the most rewarding and honorable careers out there,
Nursing. What we didn’t know then, is
that we would become one giant family.
As I stand here today, I feel so honored to have been
chosen to represent the Class of 2017. I
remember speaking at my HS graduation, circa 1999 and I never imagined this is
where I would be today, so thank you! But this speech isn’t just about who was
chosen to give it or what I feel should be said, it’s about all of us. I asked the class to give me one or two words
to describe the last two years…and although I can’t name all of them, here are
a few.
Kelsi – “emotional” and if I could sum it up in
emoji’s, I would!
Tiffani – “whirl-wind”
Kari - an “insane odyssey”
Pola – “caffeine”…this one hit the nail on the head,
but she followed up with “friendship” which couldn’t be more true.
Corinne – “roller coaster”
Brittani – “bittersweet”
Keeley – “sacrifice and commitment”
And lastly, I have to add this one in because it’s
real…Lauren described this as… “constantly riding the struggle bus” and I think
we have all felt that way at some point over the last two years!
As for me, I would have to describe this journey as, “unforgettable”
There are so many people to thank and if I was to get
to everyone individually they would cue the music like they do at the
Oscars. So here goes. First off, and I
think we would all agree, I want to thank the instructors…from first semester
to fourth, from clinical to simulation to lecture, thank you for your support
and dedication to this class. Thank you
for making it a challenge and thank you for never giving up on us.
Secondly, and I think it is safe to say…thank you to all
of our families, our friends, our children, and our significant others; to each
one of you who stood beside us, supporting us, reminding us the reason for this
journey, being there to listen, to push us, and sometimes grabbing us by the
shoulders and telling us to get a hold of ourselves and stay positive; ok so
maybe this is me personally! But regardless,
thank you!
To my classmates, whom I now consider family. I don’t know all of you like I do some, but I
am so blessed to have been a part of this class. I often say how hard this was for me…but it’s
been hard for each and every one of us.
I believe we have all inspired each other in some way and let’s be real,
I think we can safely say this class, our class, will go down in history.
To my family, to James and my friends, words cannot
express how fortunate I am to have all of you.
My biggest fans and greatest supporters, here together, thank you from
the bottom of my heart and soul. Your
continued belief in me is worth more than a lifetime of thank you’s.
To Shannon, a December 2016 graduate of the Nursing
Program, the girl who nudged me to take a chance and choose the profession of
Nursing, thank you. You have not only been there to tell me it will be OK, but
to remind me over the last two years why this incredible yet difficult journey
is all worth it. You have been there to
dry my eyes, listen to me vent, listen to my fears and to give me two-armed
hugs when I just felt like giving up. Here’s
to 12 years of friendship and support.
(Because the school had to approve my speech...insert eye roll...I had to leave out those last two paragraphs to keep it strictly "about the class." My original speech included the above...but they can't change my blog 'cause it's all mine)
(Because the school had to approve my speech...insert eye roll...I had to leave out those last two paragraphs to keep it strictly "about the class." My original speech included the above...but they can't change my blog 'cause it's all mine)
As we all take the next step into this great big world
as RN’s, we have one thing in common, we will help people, we will save lives
and we will do it every day with our giant hearts and amazing minds. So, here’s to you Class of 2017, you are
about to make a difference in the world.
I really wanted to fill balloons full of glitter that I could pop over the crowd...but I am guessing the college would have frowned upon that! Onto the next adventure of Nursing and pursuing my KU Bachelor's Degree!!
My Grad Cake from Jenny
Walking out of my last final exam like...peace!
I will never forget all of these moments! From my last exam to graduation to the infamous selfie!
It was all worth it!!
I will never forget all of these moments! From my last exam to graduation to the infamous selfie!
It was all worth it!!
RN status, Class President, and Activities Chair of the Student Nursing Association!
Shona
Shona
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