Gabriella Seal, a 2026 bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) graduate, opened the ceremony by recognizing the graduates’ supporters—faculty, staff, families, friends, partners, and children—who carried them through moments when the journey felt overwhelming.

“If there’s one thing that defines this class, it’s that no two of us took the same path to get here,” she said. “Some of us dreamed of becoming nurses for years, while others found our way through entirely different experiences and chapters of our lives. Regardless of the path, we all made the same choice: to step into something difficult, meaningful, and deeply demanding.”

She recalled times of exhaustion and uncertainty, when the weight of their training felt especially real.

“Through it all, we continued to show up for our patients, for our future, and for each other,” she said. “Somewhere along the way, this stopped being just about passing exams or mastering skills. It became about learning how to stand beside people in some of the hardest moments of their lives.”

EMU nursing graduates recite “The Nurse’s Pledge,” led by Dr. Laura Yoder during Saturday’s pinning ceremony.

Gabriella Seal ’26 (left) delivers opening remarks during the ceremony. Dr. David Rosie (right) served as keynote speaker.

Dr. David Rosie, an emergency medicine physician at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg who has worked in medicine for 26 years, delivered the keynote address. He said he is continually impressed by how EMU’s “fantastic nurses” rise to the occasion.

He encouraged the graduates to question orders from doctors and physician assistants that do not seem to make sense, think outside the box, seek unconventional solutions, and trust their instincts.

“If you have a sense that something isn’t right, then you should listen to that,” he said. “Sometimes the treatment isn’t right. Sometimes it’s someone being trafficked or abused. Those things don’t announce themselves.”

EMU’s nursing graduates received pins and stethoscopes from those who supported them throughout their nursing coursework.

The ceremony recognized the following BSN graduates, each of whom was pinned by a special person in their lives. Samantha Johnston, instructor of nursing, read their dedications and shared their future plans.

Class of 2026 graduates

Leah Beachy will work in the emergency department at Augusta Health.

Madison Bowyer will work on the organ transplant floor at the University of Virginia Health.

Odesa Elezi will work in geriatric nursing at Bridgewater Retirement Community.

Abigail Foltz will work in medical oncology at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Emily Guin will work in the emergency department at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Jacqueline Jackson is exploring her future plans.

Meygan Kyger will work as a registered nurse at the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Reina Landa will work in the emergency department at Virginia Commonwealth University Health.

Caris Lucas will work in medical oncology at Sentara RMH Medical Center. 

Gabriella Seal will work in the emergency department at Augusta Health.

Marianne Short will work in the progressive care unit at Augusta Health.

Elijah Spicher will work in correctional nursing at Middle River Regional Jail.

April Stafford will work in the progressive care unit at Augusta Health.

Joshua Stucky will work in the intensive care unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Emily Suarez Nunez is exploring her future plans.

Kristina Suslaev will work in the emergency department at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

In her closing remarks, Seal told her fellow graduates they will care for people in some of their most vulnerable and meaningful moments. Nurses will be present in times of fear, healing, grief, hope, and heartbreak, she said, and how they show up will matter more than they may ever fully realize.

“Long after people forget the details of their hospital stay, they will remember how they were treated,” she said. “They will remember who made them feel seen, heard, safe, and cared for. That is the kind of nurse each of us now has the opportunity to become.”

Watch a video recording of the ceremony below!

The history of nursing pinning ceremonies dates back to the Crusades, when monks caring for the sick and injured were given a Maltese Cross, Dr. Cathy Rittenhouse, associate professor of nursing, shared in her opening remarks. Florence Nightingale awarded medals of excellence to her outstanding nursing students, which led to the tradition of presenting nursing graduates with pins. The nursing pin symbolizes graduates’ completion of their education, their entry into the nursing profession, and their commitment to providing compassionate care, Rittenhouse said.

“It is widely acknowledged that an undergraduate degree in nursing is one of the most difficult and challenging majors,” she said. “These graduates have had not only to learn complex and detailed information, but actually apply it in real time in their clinical experiences where their patients’ lives and safety depended on them.”

The ceremony recognized the following graduates, each of whom earned a bachelor of science in nursing. As they strode up to the stage in white coats to receive their pins—many presented by parents and family members—their future plans and biggest inspirations were shared.

Mary Kate Bomberger will work either on the oncology floor at Sentara RMH Medical Center (Harrisonburg) or in the progressive care unit at Augusta Health (Fishersville).

Mild Butsridoung wants to work in an operating room.

Taylor Chandler is exploring her options, with her main interest being intensive care unit and emergency department nursing. Her goal is to earn a doctor of nursing practice.

Liza Churchill remains undecided because “there are so many endless opportunities to choose in nursing.”

Daniela Espinoza will work in the intensive care unit at the University of Virginia Medical Center (Charlottesville). She would like to earn a doctor of nursing practice and specialize in pediatrics.

Rachel Hermosillo will work in the medical-surgical unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center. She would like to earn a master’s degree so that she can teach.

Jordan Kerr will work in the stroke unit at Meritus Medical Center in Maryland. Her goal is to work in the emergency department.

Lydia Lee will work in the medical-surgical unit at Wamego Health Center in Kansas.

Halie Mast will work in the medical-surgical oncology unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Floribella Mendoza will work on a medical-surgical floor. 

Virginia Miller will work in the progressive care unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Yeana Park will work in a medical-surgical telemetry unit at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Trinity Price will work in the progressive care unit at Virginia Commonwealth University Health in Richmond. She plans to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. 

Ava Shenk will work in the stroke and dialysis unit at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Aixa Warren will work in the emergency department at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

Jenna Weaver will move to Anchorage, Alaska, and would like to work in a progressive care unit.

Rachel Wheeler will work in the labor and delivery unit at Augusta Health. She would like to become either a women’s health nurse practitioner or a certified nurse midwife.

In a farewell message to the graduates, Hannah Tissue Ferguson ’14, assistant professor of nursing at EMU, reminded them that they will always have a support system at EMU. “As you begin your next steps, wherever that may be, remember the values that have shaped you here,” she said. “Lean into them and let them guide your calling. And when the work is hard, which it will be, know you are not alone. You are a part of a long line of EMU nurses who carry light into dark places and you all, without a doubt, will continue that legacy.”