Media release from Shorter University:
Nineteen nursing students crossed a threshold Thursday night in Brooks Chapel, trading classroom seats for the white coats that mark the start of their clinical education. The Ben and Ollie Brady School of Nursing’s annual White Coat Ceremony has become one of the school’s most meaningful traditions, a public commitment from students to the patients they will soon serve.
Dean Roxanne Johnston welcomed families and faculty to the ceremony, where student Olivia Dorsey spoke on what the coat represents: not just a uniform, but a promise of purity, professionalism, and compassionate care. That promise took visible form as faculty members stepped forward to help each student into their coat, a gesture that carried its own message about the mentorship awaiting them in the clinical setting.
Scripture and prayer framed the evening throughout. Student Lainie Phillips read from 1 Corinthians 12, a passage on the varied gifts God gives for the common good, a fitting text for students about to enter a profession built on teamwork and service. Students then recited the International Council of Nurses’ Pledge together, a vow to care for every patient without regard to race, creed, politics, or social status.
Nursing pioneer Margaret Harvey’s words captured the weight of the night: “When a person decides to become a nurse, they make the most important decision of their lives. They choose to dedicate themselves to the care of others.”
This year’s honorees include:
Esperanza Arroliga, Maddie Brannon, Alison Farr, Jolene Hayden, Jamie Hilliard, Alley Jones, Armond Jones, Lucas Long, Faith Nelson, Yesenia Ortiz-Chavez, Jack Ponder, Rhikkie Sapp, Amy Skrgic, Kate Snyder, Kaylin Stallings, Guadelupe Toledo, Zariah Webb, Savannah Welch, and Olivia Wooten.
For these students, the coat they received Thursday is only the beginning. It is the first tangible sign of a calling they will spend the rest of their careers living out.
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