BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College School of Nursing held its Convocation and Pinning Ceremony on May 8, 2026, celebrating the accomplishments of graduates in its Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.

The speaker at the 2026 West Virginia Wesleyan College School of Nursing Convocation, Dr. Patricia D. Juoza-Clark ‘85, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recalled her own graduation from WVWC 41 years ago.

“I look back on my years at Wesleyan as the years that helped to mold me,” she said. “My foundation as a nurse. Nursing is more than a career. It’s a calling grounded in both science and service. It asks of us both skill and knowledge, but also something deeper: a commitment to stand beside people in the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

“This calling is not easy. It will challenge you. It will demand much of you, but in return you will have something extraordinary. The privilege of  influencing lives, strengthening communities and walking beside people during moments they will never forget.”

“Never forget how you feel today as you receive your pin or your hood. As you move forward in this remarkable profession, foster, nurture and cultivate because when you lift others, you strengthen our profession and that is how nursing continues to grow. Go and inspire our next generation of nurses.”

Kaitlynn Stone ’26, president of the Student Nurses of Wesleyan, said she is now a fourth-generation nurse in her family and talked about how patient care remained the same despite advances in technology.

“To my classmates, I’m so proud of all of you and the nurses that you have become,” she said. “I want you to always remember why you chose nursing.”

BSN graduates recognized were: Grace Bennett, Madison Brown, Kathleen Carson, Hallie Dinklocker, MaKenzie Edwars, Monica, Sarah Hull, Monica Freeman, Lexana Griffith, Aneysia Halseth, Jocelyn Heckert, Sarah Hull, Sarah Kearns, Laikelyn Leggett, Kennedy Marshall, Julia McCoy, Hailey Pugh, Demi Sanders, Stone, Jasmine Tabor, Emily Tackett, Caroline Ware and Taylor Weese.

MSN and DNP December 2025 Graduates were Makayla, MSN and Kenda Perkins, MSN. May 2026 graduates were Laura Adams, DNP, Tori Banjoman, MSN; Sara Brock, DNP; Hillary DeWitt, DNP; Elizabeth Nichols, MSN; Judith Rose, DNP and Kristi Zink, DNP.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for 135 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2026 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026  Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan second in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and counseling; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.