During Convocation, the College of Nursing acknowledged three women and one man commissioned the day before as ensigns in the United States Navy Nurse Corps. Additionally, seven seniors were called forward to receive their pins from relatives who are also graduates from the College. The pin designates them as alumni and exemplifying the motto “veritas, unitas, caritas.” This year one of the pinners is not an alumna but rather faculty. Dr. Linda Copel, professor, pinned her daughter Megan Copel. There were three other mothers, one sister and two aunts who pinned seniors, representing the legacy of Villanova Nursing. They were:
· Kaitlin Divinnie & Theresa Delaney Divinnie ’84 BSN
· Amanda Hapeman & Lisa Shelmbauer Hapeman ’86 BSN
· Jessie Norton & Karen Gavlick Norton ’84 BSN
· Emma Sexton & Margaret Sexton ’09 BSN
· Elizabeth Toomey & Ann Marie Flanagan Megan ’86 BSN
· Haley Wekheiser & Cynthia Rugart ’93 BSN
Service and academic awards were given to undergraduate and graduate students. Special awards were bestowed upon the following degree candidates:
· Hillary J. Dutton, BSN candidate, received the College of Nursing Medallion for Distinguished Academic Achievement
· Lauren M. Honeycutt, BSN candidate, received the College of Nursing Medallion for Distinguished Academic Achievement and the Joseph Petro and Helen Yura-Petro Award for Achievement in Nursing Theory
· Stephanie Rebecca Hanlon, MSN, received the College of Nursing Medallion for Distinguished Academic Achievement
· Emma M. Sexton, BSN candidate, received the H. Elaine McCaully Award for Clinical Excellence
· Bridget E. Carroll, BSN candidate, received The Reverend Francis X. N. McGuire OSA Award of the Villanova University Alumni Association
· Megan M. Copel, BSN candidate, received The Hazel Johnson Leadership Award
· Jaclyn R. Parkinson, MSN, received the Claire M. Manfredi Graduate Nursing Leadership Award
· Linda Brennan Borenstein, a master’s student, received the Ralston Center Award for Gerontology Nursing Excellence
· Catherine McGeehin Heilferty, PhD, received the inaugural Dissertation Award for her dissertation titled “The balance we seek: a sequential narrative analysis of childhood cancer blogs.”