Seven area nursing students welcomed in traditional induction ceremony at IU Kokomo

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Nearly 70 students wore the red scrubs that mark them as Indiana University Kokomo nursing students for the first time during the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions’ traditional induction ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The new students, selected through a rigorous acceptance process, each crossed the Havens Auditorium stage, receiving a certificate of accomplishment, and recited the Nursing Pledge, a promise to uphold the ethics of the nursing profession. The Indiana Nurse Honor Guard also participated in the ceremony.

A total of seven students for Hamilton County and areas nearby were included in the ceremony. Listed by hometown, they are:

• Noblesville: Lilly Wilomovsky
• Westfield: Jennifer Berkner, William (Parker) Hamernik, and Elijah Turner
• Tipton: Jaylie Springer
• Elwood: Allison Retherford
• Anderson: Ashley Banegas Nunez

Assistant Dean Stephanie Pratt welcomed students, faculty, staff, and family and friends to the ceremony, calling it “the start of a wonderful journey.” She said acceptance into nursing school is a gift they will use to make a difference.

“On this journey, you will have the opportunity to give a gift with the gift you have been given, and isn’t that splendid,” Pratt said. “We are given the opportunity to serve, to share in life’s journey with others. There truly is nothing small about this wonderful privilege that you have been given, to become a nurse.”

Julie Saam, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, also offered congratulations.

“Nurses hold vital jobs in our communities, and thus they are held to high standards,” Saam said. “Not just anyone can become a nurse, and we have high standards for our nursing students. I am certain that the journey that brought you to our program today required your significant talent, effort, sacrifice, and perseverance, and I commend you for all that you have done to get where you are today.”

Dean Angela Opsahl said nursing requires a high level of proficiency, skill, ethical responsibility, and heartfelt dedication, and that nursing is a calling that blends clinical expertise with compassion and empathy. The school’s rigorous curriculum, hands-on clinical training, and access to outstanding faculty, along with opportunities to work in the nursing foundations skills lab, the simulation center, and community clinical practice sites will prepare them to meet the challenges of a dynamic healthcare landscape, Opsahl said, and encouraged them to take part in student life, to build relationships, and grow personally.

“Remember, you are not alone,” Opsahl said. “Our faculty and staff are here to guide and support you. Lean on and embrace your classmates, respect your differences, and build a community rooted in care and collaboration.”

Brian Arwood, assistant professor of nursing, encouraged family members to provide support behind the scenes.

“You are the foundation that will hold them steady when the weight of this journey feels heavy,” Arwood said. “Nursing is not just a career, it’s a calling that demands resilience, compassion, and courage. And while our students will learn the science and the skills here, the strength to keep going often comes from home. From you.”