UKIAH, Calif. – The 2013 graduation ceremony for the Mendocino College Nursing Program was held on Thursday, May 23, in the Center for Visual and Performing Arts at Mendocino College.  

The ceremony began with an invocation by Dr. Barbara French, director of nursing at the college.  

Nursing Instructor Fran Laughton’s introduction of the graduates was followed by speeches from student speaker Zyola Blu and class president Kristy Hosford.

This year’s graduates include Debra Gentry, Amanda O’Ferrall, Corinne Chaulk, Christina Pangle, Michael Teller, Gregory Hamilton, David Fissell, Jason Cox, Michael David Crowe, Geri Warner, Karen Kennedy, Samantha Rogers, Charlotte Kelley, Zyola Blu, Joanne Epperson, Gina Freeman, Alisa Grill and Kristy Hosford.

The Mendocino College Nursing program boasts some of the highest pass rates for a community college nursing program in the state of California.  

According to French, the Mendocino College pass rate is 96.4 percent, while the statewide average is 85 percent.

Following the tradition established with last year’s graduating class, this year’s graduates each also received a check for $400 to fund their state board examination fees.  

This generous gift was provided by the Mendocino Community Health Clinics, Ukiah Valley Medical Center, Albert Beltrami, Theresa Rohr, Daisy Ellsworth, Terri Ebrey, Leslie Saxon West, Barbara French and Jason Eddington.

According to Professor French, “For every month a nursing candidate waits to take their state board examination, their ability to pass goes down 24 percent. It is absolutely critical that our graduates take the examination immediately following graduation. This gift ensures that each graduate will take their state boards immediately.”

For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation, they can be reached at 707-467-1018 or at http://foundation.mendocino.edu/site/ .