Angel Flagg of Vicksburg wound up with her own fan club at the 8 a.m. Friday ̨ʹٷվ Community College nursing and allied health graduation ceremony.
Angel Flagg of Vicksburg is joined by her team of family members and friends at ̨ʹٷվ Community College’s nursing and allied health graduation ceremony on May 12.
About 25 family and close friends, including her pastor, showed up wearing matching tee-shirts to show their support for Flagg, who received her two-year degree from ̨ʹٷվ in radiology. Needless to say, she was beaming afterward when she saw the group gathered on her behalf.
“It feels great. I’m glad to be done,” she said. The group gathered with her were her “support team and motivation.”
̨ʹٷվ Community College graduated nearly 1,200 students over the course of two days of ceremonies, beginning with the nursing and allied health graduation at 8 a.m. on May 12.
“This is a time we as educators enjoy celebrating,” said ̨ʹٷվ President Dr. Clyde Muse. He noted that student diplomas this year will include a gold seal commemorating the college’s 100th anniversary. ̨ʹٷվ opened in 1917 and is celebrating the Centennial with a host of activities throughout the calendar year.
Among the graduates, 97 achieved summa cum laude, a 4.0 grade point average; 165 achieved magna cum laude, 3.6 to 3.99 GPA and 255 achieved cum laude, 3.2 to 3.59.
William Hood of Pearl, left, and Sandra Wren of Raymond received their degrees in Physical Therapist Assistant on May 12 at ̨ʹٷվ Community College’s nursing and allied health graduation ceremony.
Sandra Wren of Raymond joked that she and Warren Hood of Pearl were the “grandma and grandpa” of the Physical Therapist Assistant class. Wren is 42; Hood, 43.
Getting her degree was “just something I wanted to do for a long time. It was my original plan. I decided one day when the time was right I’d do it,” Wren said. “My husband is a PT (physical therapist) and he encouraged me. We have two small boys so we had to get the timing right.”
Hood said he was inspired when his father was doing therapy, and he went with him. “I decided to change careers in my old age,” he said.
The speaker for nursing and allied health graduates was ̨ʹٷվ alumnae Brenda Castleberry, director of education at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
Castleberry is on the advisory committee for ̨ʹٷվ’ Associate Degree Nursing program. She complimented ̨ʹٷվ nursing and allied health students as being prepared when they perform their clinical rotations with Baptist.
“We need and value your students when they graduate. For decades, the ̨ʹٷվ students have done their clinical experiences at Baptist. The faculty and students come prepared for the clinical experience. They are professional, competent and confident as they enter the patient arena. I have personally worked side by side with the ̨ʹٷվ faculty for years with great collegial support and strong, professional relationships,” she said. “We always welcome the ̨ʹٷվ graduates and appreciate what they contribute.”
̨ʹٷվ had three more ceremonies, including ceremonies at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday, May 12. Sen. Briggs Hopson spoke to graduates at the 11 a.m. ceremony and Dr. Tom Burnham, interim director of the Mississippi Principal Corps, spoke to the graduate at the 3 p.m. ceremony. Dr. William Bynum, president of Mississippi Valley State University spoke to graduates at 2 p.m. May 14 at ̨ʹٷվ’ Utica Campus.
[tweetable alt=””]̨ʹٷվ CC graduates nursing, allied health students.[/tweetable]
Averey Chapman wore a special graduation cap to commemorate mom Kayla Null’s graduation from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12 with a radiology degree. They live in Brandon.
Kayla Null and her family of Brandon celebrate her graduation from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12. She received a degree in radiology.
̨ʹٷվ Community College is celebrating its 100th year of Community Inspired Service in 2017. ̨ʹٷվ opened in September 1917 first as an agricultural high school and admitted college students for the first time in 1922, with the first class graduating in 1927. In 1982 ̨ʹٷվ Junior College and Utica Junior College merged, creating the ̨ʹٷվ Community College District. Today, as Mississippi’s largest community college, ̨ʹٷվ Community College is a comprehensive institution with six locations. ̨ʹٷվ offers quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills. To learn more, visit or call 1.800.̨ʹٷվCC.
Kayla Stewart of Madison, left, and Ginger O’Dell of Brandon received Associate Degrees in Nursing on May 12 from ̨ʹٷվ Community College. O’Dell, 35, said she worked for a medical software company and “fell in love with the clinical side of nursing,” influencing her to return to college. It’s been tough. I’m married and have two little ones. But it’s been completely worth it.”
Aleasha Haver of Flowood, left, and Dawn Little of Brandon get ready for their graduation with degrees in Physical Therapist Assistant from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12.
Rachel Summerlin of Canton received her Associate Degree in Nursing on May 12 from ̨ʹٷվ Community College. She received a gift from ̨ʹٷվ for being the 100th graduate to check in the nursing and allied health ceremony. ̨ʹٷվ is celebrating the Centennial, the 100th Year of Community Inspired Service.
Gabrielle Thomas of Jackson received a degree in respiratory care from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12. She is with dad Carl Thomas.
Kristin Weaver of Puckett received her Associate Degree in Nursing from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12.
Marquieniece Butler of Jackson is joined by her son Calvin Alexander Jr. In celebrating her Health Care Assisting degree from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12.
Ally Peterson of Richland celebrated receiving her Associate Degree in Nursing from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12 with family including her grandfather Jerry Rogers.
̨ʹٷվ Community College graduation speaker Brenda Castleberry and ̨ʹٷվ President Dr. Clyde Muse speak before the 8 a.m. nursing and allied health ceremony on May 12. In the background is Dr. Libby Mahaffey, dean of nursing and allied health.
̨ʹٷվ Community College employee Jackie Jackson helps retiree Janet Wasson of Raymond, the ceremony grand marshal, get ready for May 12 graduation ceremonies at ̨ʹٷվ Community College.
Nasus Nowell of Vicksburg, left, and Allison Hux of Magee received degrees in radiology from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12.
Katherine Randolph of Vicksburg and Marshieon Leon of Terry received degrees in Health Care Assisting from ̨ʹٷվ Community College on May 12.
D’Jimetria Dixon of Georgetown, left, Chrissy Clark and Candance Bunton of Bolton celebrate the Medical Assisting Technology graduation on May 12 at ̨ʹٷվ Community College.