BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The West Virginia Wesleyan College School of Nursing honored 41 graduates recently in the Convocation Ceremony.

Guest speaker Dr. Thomas Smith ’84 recounted his nursing education at West Virginia Wesleyan College and his early years after graduation working in New York City.

“Healthcare nursing is not just a job,” he said. “It is a career that will be both challenging and rewarding. Always remember, once you have worked several years, there will be patients and there will be families who hold you in their hearts forever because you were kind. I want you to never forget that.

Smith reminded graduates that it’s OK to fail, to embrace the uncertainty and to keep their sense of humor. He encouraged them to network.

“Chase your passions, embrace the chaos and above all enjoy the ride,” he said. “Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.”

Noah Jordan ’25, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, served as president of Student Nurses of Wesleyan.

“We did it,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of you and can’t wait to see what the future holds. We’ve been through it all together, but we didn’t just make it through. We crushed it, came out smarter, stronger and ready to take on the world.”

He thanked professors and those in the audience for their support of the graduates.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Graduates included Emma Adcock ’25, of Plant City, Florida; Kaitlyn Barnette ’25, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Zoe Casto ’25, of Fairmont, West Virginia; Talia Cooper ’25, of Beckley, West Virginia; Kadie Dunham ’25, of Grafton, West Virginia;  Baylee Estudillo ’25, of Mount Neb, West Virginia;  Abigail Fazzini ’25, of Clarksburg, West Virginia; Kenna Ferguson ’25, of Elkins, West Virginia; Courtney Fizer ’25, of Charleston, West Virginia; Leigha Hall ’25, of Uniontown, Ohio; Chloe Hamrick ’25, of Rainelle, West Virginia; Kimberly Howell ’25, of Chesapeake, West Virginia; Jordan; Hannah Lafferre ’25, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Katelyn Martin ’25, of Hinton, West Virginia; Erin McClelland ’25, of Kingwood, West Virginia; Kylie Metz ’25, of Weston, West Virginia; Paige Miller ’25, of Butler, Pennsylvania; Jody Mullens ’25, of Sugar Grove, West Virginia;  Emma Pankiewicz ’25, of Muskego, Wisconsin; Ellie Pergolotti ’25, of Cromwell, Connecticut; Lillie Peters ’25, of Sutton, West Virginia; Megan Pritt ’25, of Mount Nebo, West Virginia, and Ariel Sayre ’25, of Reedsville, West Virginia.

Those earning their Master of Science in Nursing in December 2024 but recognized in May were Lauren Casto, MSN, PMH ‘24; Loan Chau, MSN, FNP ‘24, of Worcester, Massachusetts; Aston Crosten, MSN, FNP ‘24, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Kelsey Dean, MSN, FNP ‘24, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Dawna Hardway, MSN, FNP ’24; Megan Kister, MSN, PMH ’24; Victoria Klinger, MSN, FNP ’24, of Coalton, West Virginia; Elizabeth Sendling, MSN, FNP ’24, of Coalton, West Virginia; and Chance Walther, MSN, FNP ’24, of Green Bank, West Virginia.

May 2025 MSN and DNP Graduates were Sara Beth Chipps, MSN, FNP ’25, of Bridgeport, West Virginia; Valerie Jordan, MSN, Leadership ’25, of Buckhannon; Crystal Lough, MSN, FNP ’25, of Weston, West Virginia; Sydney Maxwell, MSN, FNP ’25, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Holly Revling, MSN, FNP’ 25, of Ellamore, West Virginia; Paige Tusing, MSN, FNP ’25, of Belington, West Virginia, and Ann Whitehair, DNP ’25, of Grafton, West Virginia.