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�Թ�tv (�Թ�tv) School of Health Sciences celebrated the newest class of 30 nursing students to graduate during a nursing pinning ceremony held Dec. 10 on campus. A long-standing tradition for nurses worldwide, the ceremony symbolizes completion of their education and an official welcome into the nursing profession. In addition to receiving their pins, the students also light their nursing lamps and recite the Nurse Pledge, which was inspired by the Florence Nightingale Pledge. The nursing students also attended �Թ�tv’s commencement ceremony on Dec. 14 and were awarded their Bache

�Թ�tv (�Թ�tv) has secured a transformative grant that will enhance two groundbreaking initiatives aimed at improving student success over the next three years. This funding marks a significant advancement in �Թ�tv’s commitment to supporting Hispanic students and addressing critical workforce shortages in education.

“The work we do is ultimately for student success. This grant will help us increase our outreach with the tools to help them succeed,” said Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president of �Թ�tv.

With this grant, �Թ�tv will expand its successful Hispanic Achievers Committed to Excellence

It was a typical October day at the Sugarloaf Mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

�Թ�tv (�Թ�tv) students and spouses Ismael Gonzalez, ’28, information technology, and Allison Gonzalez, ’29, English, were walking near the food court when they noticed an older gentleman fall. They rushed over to his side. The gentleman was still conscious, but sweaty.

“He had a rapid pulse, and then he lost consciousness,” said Allison. “Then he stopped breathing, so I started chest compressions.”

Her reaction was the result of a class that all �Թ�tv students are required to take: physical education 1101

The fall class of 2024 celebrated earning their diplomas where they started their journey: on the �Թ�tv (�Թ�tv) campus. The students made their last walk across campus to the ceremony’s location in the college’s new Convocation Center.

Over 430 students representing the U.S. and 28 other countries turned their tassels during two ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 14.

“What an incredible day this is. We are overjoyed to celebrate this extraordinary group of students completing their undergraduate journey right here, where it all began – on this very campus.

Every one of you in this room

Shari Jackson is the personification of the adage, “It’s never too late.”

She was 55 in 2018 when she entered �Թ�tv (�Թ�tv) as a first-year human services major. It was a huge life change and a big gamble for a mother of two who had spent the good part of a decade as a caregiver for both her mother and aunt, on top of raising her children, who were 23 and 15 at the time. But it was her mother and aunt themselves who convinced her she had to return to college.

“I was always the person my mom and aunt would reach out to,” said Jackson. “The role increased as they aged. While I

Mikiah Miller grew up living the military life. Both of her parents served, and that meant a lot of moving. As she got older, she knew she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps by joining the U.S. Navy.

After graduating from high school, Miller focused on her goal of serving in the Navy. She lost 40 pounds and was ready to start her military career. Everything changed when an unfortunate series of health issues forced her to take a medical discharge before she could finish boot camp. That dream was over before it even began, but she didn’t give up on herself.

She had to find a new path.

Mill

Writers and philosophers throughout time have described life in countless ways: uncertain, strange, fragile, miraculous, and like a box of chocolates. Jessica Rantamaki knows that it can be all these things and more, but after July 1, 2017, one aspect jumped to the forefront and became her driving force – that it’s not guaranteed.

It was on that day a car thief trying to outrun the police in Sugar Hill, Georgia, crossed double yellow lines and crashed head-on into the car Rantamaki was driving with her husband and two of their friends inside.

“It was like the car had imploded. I didn’t know if

Teodora Jovic has two seemingly polar opposite loves: literature and tennis. Incredibly, she has made a life with those two diverse interests and plans to pursue them far into her future.

It was the book “Anne of Green Gables” that ignited her lifelong love of literature. Her mother gave her the beloved classic, written in 1908 by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery when she was a young girl growing up on the Central Coast of Australia. It turned out to be a fortuitous gift because the story – about a spirited orphan girl mistakenly sent to live with two middle-aged siblings on their farm on

Nia Mallory wasn’t expecting to discover a second home when she came to �Թ�tv (�Թ�tv) in 2019, but the more time she spent on campus, the more at home she felt.

“At first, I chose �Թ�tv because it was close to home and affordable, making it a practical choice,” she said. “However, as I immersed myself in campus life and got more involved, I found myself genuinely appreciating what �Թ�tv had to offer. The more time I spent here, the more I grew to love the community, the opportunities and the unique experiences that have shaped my journey.”

Mallory was born in Newark, New Jersey, and

Ryan Smith was determined to make a difference when he returned to his alma mater, transitioning from student to employee at �Թ�tv. As a director in the school’s Student Housing division, he immediately connected with student residents.

When he assumed the role of assistant director of Student Life and Belonging, Smith launched exciting new initiatives that strengthened the campus community and student engagement, including �Թ�tv’s Grizzly Palooza Week, the school’s first Juneteenth celebration and its Sneaker Ball.

His impact earned him one of the schools’ top honors.

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