On the evening of May 8, I attended the Spring 2008 pinning ceremony of nursing graduates from Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey - a group of 38 people who decided to pursue new careers taking care of others.

The college promotes its nursing program as being top-notch, with its competitive admission standards, quality faculty and a new building with high-tech equipment and computerized “patient” manikins with realistic body functions. The curriculum appears tough, too, at least to someone who earned a degree in journalism.

The ceremony started with two lines of nurses, all dressed in white, filing into The Commons and carrying small white candles. The two lines joined in the middle of the expansive room, uniting under a lighted arch decorated with greenery. From there, they took their seats.

There was the expected introductions, speeches, invocation, Florence Nightengale pledge and benediction.

In-between the “expected,” was the unexpected - at least for me.

We heard the students’ stories of the toll that their intensive studying, time-consuming hospital clinicals and rigorous testing took on their lives and that of their families.

They weren’t complaining, though.

No, these people were thanking their parents, spouses and children for their support and understanding, and in some cases, letting them move back home so they could save money. They were grateful for those who babysat, cooked or did laundry for them when the nursing students had to hit the books. They related how they missed their child’s school program or had to say “no” when the youngster wanted to go to the park, dutifully putting studying first. “We’re going to Disney World,” one mom/nurse promised her little girl.

Each graduate had written out his or her short narratives, with a faculty member reading each as the new nurse came on stage with loved ones. The spouse or parent then stuck on the shiny, hard-earned “RN” pins on the white shirts. The nurse handed one or more rose and fern arrangements to his or her mother, wife or daughter and the nurses walked off, eager to begin their futures.

I had not realized until that ceremony how many of these nursing students struck out on this difficult new career path, apparently not happy with their present job or lack of a job. Many are well past the average age of an undergraduate college student, so they probably hadn’t had to study for years, another challenge. One man had a series of bottom-level jobs and another man said he was “sweeping floors” before he entered the nursing program.

That night I gained an even bigger appreciation for these students, and not just for mastering what is inside those thick, heavy books with every minute detail of the human body and ailment known to exist. What touched me was this excited, relieved group of women - and men - went through all of this work to serve others, most with the extra layer of family responsibilities.

My congratulations for working so hard, my wishes for a great future and my respect goes to all the members of this class:

Sarah Akeman, Stephanie Anderson, Rachel Baker, Christine Bellovich, Ashley Boyles, Michael Brady, Lance Bristow, Holly Brockman, Tammy Bugger, Jean Coffey, Robin Colbert, Skylar Coleman, Casey Cox, Cory David, Elizabeth Eyers, Jayme Ford, Megan French, Donna Gibson, Jamie Guthrie, Mandi Hanfelder, Lori Hazelip, Lisa Henson, Lori Hilyard, Mary Hutchinson, Melanie Ironwing, Michael Lawrence, Thomas Mattingly, Kimara Morrissey, James Noud, Kristin Prince, Christina Pyles, Kaci Ridder, Jessica Schwartzkopf, Stephen Sherwood, Tracie Sussenbach, Zoe-Anne Weller, Kimberly Willis and Amanda Woods.

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