The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana will host a meaningful nurse pinning ceremony for the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) graduates on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Hempstead Hall, celebrating their dedication and achievement.

A nurse pinning ceremony is a milestone event that marks a student’s official transition from nursing school to the nursing profession. Instead of focusing on graduation as a whole, the pinning ceremony celebrates the training, sacrifice, and growth that shaped the student into a nurse. The pin is a symbol of commitment to patient care, integrity, and service. For many, it carries more emotional weight than the graduation itself because it honors the personal journey, the mentors who guided it, and the responsibility the new nurse is ready to carry.

About ARNEC:

ARNEC is a consortium of four community colleges in rural Arkansas, including UA Hope-Texarkana, UA Cossatot, UA Rich Mountain, and South Arkansas College. It plays a vital role in supporting rural nursing education by providing LPNs/LVNs the opportunity to advance their careers by earning an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN). This program prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for a Registered Nursing (RN) license, thereby strengthening healthcare in rural communities.

For more information, visit https://www.arnec.org.

 

Pictured:

Front Row left to right: Randi Byrnes, Ashley Simmons, Janie Hoover, May Sun Emphasis, Sierra Williams, Blanca Martinez, Ke'Ara Key, Andrea Wells Shelton 

Middle Row left to right: Shelby Smith, Latricia Hendrix, Cara Pogue, Alyssa Anderson Fields, Heather McMillan, Sarah Jackson, Brianna Covington, Heather Klundt, Aubriyanna Leichman, Emily Rushing 

Top Row left to right: Ashley Irons, Marvesha Gipson, Whintey Hart, Brittany Salinas, Troy Tefteller, Lauren McCain, Khadijah Hare, Kashaila Veney, Candice Compton

Not pictured: Rachel Lewis