Ohio University Southern celebrates BSN Class of 2026 with Pinning Ceremony

Friends and family members filled the seats of Bowman Auditorium on Thursday, April 30, 2026, as Ohio University Southern celebrated the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Class of 2026 at a pinning ceremony.

Dean Deborah Marinski opened the ceremony with a personal story. Just one month earlier, while traveling in South Carolina for a program review, she had been hospitalized nine hours from home with appendicitis and required emergency surgery. She told graduates and their families that she could not pick her ER physician, surgeon or anesthesiologist out of a lineup. The three nurses who cared for her, Adam, Tiffany, and Ellie, she remembered vividly.

"They were the ones who made sure I was comfortable, and who answered every question I had with patience and kindness," Marinski said. "I never felt like I was a nuisance or a bother to them."

The pin, she went on, would be placed deliberately over the heart, and that placement was no accident.

"Compassion is not a soft skill. It is not secondary to your clinical training. It is not the nice-to-have quality that comes after real work is done," Marinski said. "Compassion is the work, and empathy is the instrument."

She closed with a charge to the class: "On your best days and on your hardest days, be an Adam. Be a Tiffany. Be an Ellie. Be that nurse."

Image

Associate Director Dr. Michelle Theiss welcomed the graduates and their families and thanked Student Nurses Association volunteers and nursing coordinators Anna Payne and Chelsea Harris, who organized the ceremony.

"It's been a pleasure to watch you all grow and support each other through this journey," Theiss said.

Theiss recognized four faculty members nominated this academic year for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators, a national program that recognizes nurse educators.

Clinical instructor Cheyenne Maynard received four student nominations across both semesters. Faculty members Dr. Maranda Clement, Lesa Phillips, and Nicole Stumbo were also nominated.

Two student awards were presented by Associate Professor of Nursing Dana Scott.

The Outstanding Student Award, given to the student with the highest academic record, was presented to Whitney Howard, who graduated with a 3.751 grade point average. Howard, who plans to pursue a career in labor and delivery, thanked her family, her professors and her classmates for their support throughout the program.

"This award isn't just a reflection of my work. It's a testament to the support and guidance I've received from so many incredible people," Howard said. Of her chosen specialty, she added, "There's something incredibly special about being part of a family's story at such a vulnerable, life changing moment."

The Spirit of Nursing Award, which recognizes a student who embodies compassion, integrity, and a genuine commitment to caring for others, was presented to Thomas Keating. Keating said he didn't plan on becoming a nurse. He earned a nurse's aide certification in high school, set it aside for nearly a year, and then returned to health care.

"I didn't choose nursing. Honestly, I never saw myself here," Keating said. "Now it's been three years since I became one. And somewhere along the way, nursing chose me."

Keating also spoke about the bond he formed with his 10 classmates over four years of clinicals, lectures and long study nights.

"There's nothing quite like the bond between nursing students," he said. "We stressed, struggled and definitely annoyed each other, but we always showed up and made it through."

Faculty members Aimee Howe, Denise Meeks, Dr. Michelle Theiss, Lesa Phillips, Theresa Ruby, Dr. Maranda Clement and Nicole Stumbo took the stage to pin all 11 graduates. Each student received a hug along with their pin.

The class then watched a video tribute featuring a slide for each graduate, with baby photos and snapshots from years spent with family and friends, as well as photos from their time in the nursing program. Student Nurses Association officers then led the graduates and the nurses in the audience in the Nightingale Pledge.

When the class was formally presented to the audience, Bowman Auditorium erupted into cheers, applause and whistles. Family members held phones in the air to capture the moment. A few graduates fanned themselves with their programs, holding back happy tears.

The graduates gathered on stage for group photos that ended in a giant group hug before they dispersed into the audience to be congratulated by family and friends.

Image

The nursing pin has a long history. It dates back to the Maltese cross worn by the Hospitallers, a group of Crusaders who cared for the sick. Florence Nightingale later adopted the cross for the badge worn by graduates of her own school of nursing.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Class of 2026 includes Marissa Boza, Brooklynn Bryant, Aubree Callicoat, Kayleigh Collins, Laiken Hobbs, Whitney Howard, Thomas Keating, Megan Long, Rikki Staniford, Sara Stiltner, and Dylan Tucker.