5 May ICC's nursing students celebrate week, month and graduation May 5, 2025 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 When the pages of the calendar turned to May, a special celebration began for nurses across the nation. Every year, from May 6-12, those in the profession are recognized for their service and dedication to caring for others and improving the health of patients through National Nurses Week. But as special as nurses are and most deserving of a celebration, the week is just a small part of the larger National Nurses Month, which will be observed through May 31. “Students who are enrolled in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program prepare to take the NCLEX-RN and subsequently to become Registered Nurses, who work in collaboration with physicians and other members of a healthcare team,” said Tonya Vaughn, dean of Health Science Instruction. “They fill numerous roles, including but not limited to, disease prevention, coping with illness, patient assessments, health educators and advocacy. However, they don’t stop there. There is also possible case management, quality assurance procedures, directing complex nursing care systems and conducting clinical research. They work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare services and nursing care facilities, correctional facilities, schools or serve in the military. Week-long or even month-long celebrations are great, but we know first-hand that sometimes it is an underappreciated job. I hope that our students know how much they are valued and will transfer that attitude when they enter the world of work. Many of our students have stories to tell about how their pathway led them to ICC.” Among them is 51-year-old Michelle Crawson of Pontotoc. She’s been married for almost 29 years and has three children, two of whom are married and one who will be a high school senior next year. “My daughter was in the ADN program with ICC and graduated in 2020, and my son is in medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. I’ve had some really great jobs in my life where I excelled, helping many individuals in different ways, but I wanted something more meaningful, so I decided to go back to school after many prayers and conversations with my family. Crawson worked 50+ hours per week at a full-time job while she completed her prerequisites for the program prior to acceptance. “This has been a great experience,” she said. “I enjoy working alongside all of the other students and teachers. I will say that it has been a challenge because I do have a life outside of nursing school, and that is very precious to me. I have a wonderful, supportive husband (who is a bi-vocational pastor), children, in-laws and church family.” In addition, Crawson’s father died during finals last semester, and her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this semester. “That, along with helping plan my daughter’s wedding that was in March, school has been a little challenging, but I am thankful to God for this opportunity,” Crawson added. Memory Willingham of Saltillo, who is more a traditional-age college student and member of the ICC Associate Degree Nursing Class of 2025, previously earned the bachelor’s degree in natural science from Christian Brothers University, summa cum laude, with a 3.89 grade point average. She was a student-athlete at CBU, where she played softball and was a Buc scholar gold tier for four years. And, when she doesn’t have anything else to do, she is busy planning a wedding for Nov. 8. “I chose nursing school because it has always been a passion of mine,” Willingham noted. “I have always loved to serve and help others. One thing that I love about the nursing field is that I get to be someone’s light or hope on their darkest days. Being there for people who are going through one of the hardest times of their lives is something that has always motivated me to continue to pursue this career. ICC’s ADN program has helped me reach my goal, and I have enjoyed every minute. The staff never fails to care, push and teach me everything I need to know and be successful in my career path.” Fast forward to this month, Willingham, who is the recent recipient of the Larry Loden ADN Hall of Fame award, will be celebrating her graduation from ICC with a 4.0 GPA as well as National Nurses Month. Very soon, she will work as a Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Memorial Hospital. “I’m so excited to start my career,” Willingham said, “and I am forever grateful for all of the opportunities ICC’s ADN program has given me!” She and her classmates celebrated their upcoming milestone of graduation and the beginning of their careers as nurses recently with a food truck lunch at the Tupelo Campus. Throughout the nation, the American Nursing Association and other related organizations are promoting Nurses Week and Month as a time to thank and recognize nurses across the country for their dedication to the profession and patients they serve. As for Itawamba Community College, it’s a great time to celebrate our Associate Degree Nursing students and the profession they have chosen. “We can’t wait for the Class of 2025 to cross that stage this month and take the next step to a career in the field they love,” Vaughn said. “We hope that they will know that we love them and thank them in advance for choosing such an impactful career, not just during nurses’ week or month, but every single day!” Related Articles ICC's Nursing students have opportunity to benefit from Women's Foundation of Mississippi grant Students in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs will have an opportunity to benefit from a significant grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. The $40,000 Access to Opportunity – Training and Graduating a Healthcare Workforce for Mississippi grant will be divided between the ADN and PN programs based on relative program enrollments, said Rilla Jones, dean of Health Science Instruction. This year, 31 ADN and 19 PN students will receive funds. Students in their final year/semester of their nursing program will be informed of this grant during the beginning of the fall semester, Jones said. Those who would like to be considered for the grant will complete an application and sign a consent form for FAFSA data to be accessed. Selection will be based on lowest estimated financial contribution and income level and the most number of dependents. Students who are selected will be awarded $800. “This targeted, need-based funding will allow students near graduation to be able to pay for expenses, such as NCLEX review courses, licensing exams ... ICC celebrates April as National Welding Month; students in Metallica class share their stories Chris Adair of Saltillo is a student in Itawamba Community College’s welding class that has been funded by a grant from Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands. He and his classmates as well as all students in ICC’s welding classes are joining in the celebration of April as National Welding Month. Adair said that enrolling in the class was a great opportunity to learn welding. “I’m hooked on a hobby that I can have for a lifetime.” His grandfather was a welder for both the Navy and NASA. “I would have made my grandfather proud. I can feel his arms on mine when I stick weld.” A general studies graduate in 2018, Adair said he didn’t know what his future would bring. He said he spent a lot of time playing video games. “I didn’t know what to do. I saw the opportunity and decided to go for it. I was nervous at first, but I’ve started a hobby that I enjoy.” Adair and his classmates have different stories, but their chance meeting in ICC’s welding class has given them ... ICC's sophomore AD Nursing students engage in service learning Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program is currently preparing its students for civic engagement and social responsibility through its service learning component. Service learning allows students to develop moral judgment, civic responsibility and cultural competency, according to Dr. Dana Walker, program director. “It is an educational experience in which students participate in a service activity that meets the needs of multiple stakeholders in the professional and community environment. Components include experiential learning, reflecting and a partnership between the educational institution and community agency.” This semester, sophomores have assisted with health screening for more than 700 area students including King Early Childhood Education Center, Carver Elementary School and Lawhon Elementary School. Screenings included height, weight, vision and hearing for students ranging from four years to second grade. “ICC student nurses had a terrific time with the children while applying concepts learned in their current maternal/pediatric course to help promote health in the community,” Walker said. ICC's Practical Nursing students receive pins, lamps during commencement ceremony Several area residents received their pins and lamps from Itawamba Community College’s Practical Nursing program at 6 p.m., Dec.7, at the Davis Event Center at the Fulton Campus. Graduates include Claudia C. Bounds, Kimberly H. Renfro, both of Amory; Rebecca D. Hopkins of Dumas; Cheyenne L. Cox, Stephanie N. Oliver, Carlee A. Samples, all of Guntown; Hope A. Wallace of Mantachie; Amanda G. Pannell, Erica E. Wood, both of New Albany; Amber N. Evans of Plantersville; Monica Grant of Pontotoc; Jennie M. Foster of Randolph; Jennifer L. Sykes of Ripley; Taylor E. Barnhill, Teran M. Barnitz, Summer R. Price and Ashton A. Swearingen, all of Tupelo. Practical Nursing is a one-year (three-semester) program. Upon completion, graduates receive a Certificate of Completion and are eligible to take the N-CLEX (national board examination) to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Dr. Lisa Pearson of Amory is the program director. Instructors include Tammy Jones of Pontotoc; Lisa McNeese of Smithville and Patricia Robbins of Blue Springs. ICC Associate Degree Nursing students receive MNF stipend, scholarship The Mississippi Nurses Foundation has presented a $5.000 stipend to Itawamba Community College’s Kasey Homan of Fulton and a $1,000 scholarship to Madison Collins of Shannon. Homan, who is majoring in Associate Degree Nursing, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Mississippi Organization for Associate Degree Nursing Students and Nurses Christian Fellowship. Her honors include the Dean’s List and recipient of an ICC Foundation scholarship. Among her activities are member of Trinity Baptist Church, volunteer firefighter with the Fulton Fire Department and treasurer of the Fulton Volunteer Fireman Club. She is a graduate of New Hope High School. She is married to Patrick Homan, and her parents are Dane and Angie Boyd. Also an Associate Degree Nursing major at ICC, Collins is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and past member of ICC’s All-American Marching Band. Her honors include the President’s List. She is a graduate of South Pontotoc High School. Collins is children’s choir director, member of the Praise Team and activities committee and volunteer with Life Recovery Ministry at Call by Faith Baptist Church. She is the ... ICC's '23 Associate Degree Nursing graduates excel on recent NCLEX Itawamba Community College’s 2023 May Associate Degree Nursing graduates have achieved a 96 percent pass rate on their National Council Licensure Examination, according to Dr. Dana Walker, program director. Walker said that the Nex Gen NCLEX went into effect in April, making ICC’s graduates some of the first to see the exam. All but two graduates passed the newly formatted exam on the first attempt. “That is commendable as many times the pass rate drops on a new exam format.” “I am beyond proud of the hard work the (ICC) nursing faculty did to accomplish this,” Walker said. “I know that the transition to the new exam concepts and format was not easy during a pandemic and post pandemic, but the faculty stuck to the strategies planned and made the students successful.” Walker noted that the May 2023 graduates started their nursing school journey in the fall of 2021, and some had never taken a face-to-face college course. “I am immensely excited and proud of this accomplishment by our nursing students, faculty and staff,” said ICC President Dr. Jay ... Comments are closed.