Indiana University Kokomo’s School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions (SNAHP) honored its 2025 graduates at its traditional pinning ceremony last Thursday, May 8, in Havens Auditorium.
The graduates include the inaugural class of the campus’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program. Five students earned the Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences, along with four receiving a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science and 39 earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Carolyn Townsend, interim dean, welcomed the graduating class, family, friends, faculty, and staff to the momentous occasion, recognizing the hard work, dedication, and commitment they have shown in their journey to become health care professionals.
“Each of you has a unique story and path that has led you to this point,” Townshend said. “You have faced challenges and overcome obstacles, and today, you stand ready to take on the responsibilities of a professional healthcare provider. Your journey does not end here; it is just the beginning. As you step into your healthcare role, you will encounter new challenges and opportunities for growth. You will be called upon to make difficult decisions and to provide care in complex and sometimes uncertain situations. But know that you are not alone. You are part of a larger community of professionals to support, guide, and share your successes and struggles.”
She encouraged the graduates to wear their professional pins with pride, as a reminder of their commitment to excellence, and of the profound impact they will have on the lives of their patients and their families.
Christina Douglas, clinical assistant professor and OTA program director, congratulated the first cohort graduating from the program and presented their pins.
“This pin signifies your commitment to the core principles of occupational therapy: empowering individuals to engage in the everyday activities that bring purpose and joy to their lives,” Douglas said. “It embodies the hard work, compassion, and creativity you have demonstrated in learning how to use occupations as powerful tools for recovery and growth. You are now equipped to help your clients live their fullest and most functional lives.”
Ten graduates participated in the Legacy pinning ceremony, receiving their pins from a family member who is also a registered nurse. They included Addie Cooper with her aunt Stacey Wilson; Mary Dada with her sister Elizabeth Omobo; Rylie Davison with her sister Brookelyn Agler; Brianna Enriquez with her mother Tina Enriquez; Ashley Houghtalen with her grandmother Debbie Houghtalen; Brooklyn Keafer with her mother Amanda Keafer; Elizabeth Martin with her mother Sara Mitchell; Jenna Smith with her mother Jennifer Smith; Sarah Smith with her mother Julie Smith; and Delaney Zeck with her aunt Dawn Pullen.
Brielle Remmenga led the OTA class in reciting the Occupational Therapy Assistant Pledge and Creed, while Makenna Leicht led nursing students in the Nursing Pledge.
Students Delaney Zeck and Jenna Smith also addressed their classmates, offering words of wisdom and memories of their time together.
“When I look back on our very first year as nursing students, I see wide-eyed, ambitious kids,” Smith said. “Now, when I look at us, I see tired-eyed, ambitious adults eager to take on our next challenge and care for people. With all the late night and early morning lectures, study groups, simulations, and classes that got harder, harder, and somehow even harder, we had to be each other’s support, cheerleaders, and teammates, and we were. We grew from a bunch of people who hardly knew each other into a family. I am so proud of all of us because I know we all fought tooth and nail to make it here today.
“We made it, now let’s go save some lives!”
Master of Science in Nursing graduates will also be recognized at the Master’s Hooding ceremony Friday.
Photo illustration provided by IU Kokomo
Students honored include:
- Veteran honor cords: Cole Carden, Hunter Carden, Galveston
- Academic honor cords with highest distinction: Blake Banter, Kokomo; Brecken Good, Rossville; Dana Hackney, Fishers; Ella Kantz, Greentown
- Academic honor cords with high distinction: Sarah Smith, Kokomo
- Honors Program graduate: Peter Sayers Burton, Kokomo
- Outstanding Student in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program: Brecken Good, Rossville
- Outstanding Student in the Pre-licensure Traditional BSN program: Blake Banter, Kokomo
- Outstanding Student in the online Applied Health Science program: Dana Hackney, Fishers
- Outstanding Student in the Master of Science in Nursing program: Crystal Vice
Local students who were pinned included:
Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science
- Fishers: Dana Hackney
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Arcadia: Lauren Johnson
- Carmel: Claire Rice
- Noblesville: Ashley Nicole Houghtalen
- Westfield: David Konstantin Kapriyan
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