The Nursing Program at Gateway Community College (GCC) will hold the Class of 2013 Pinning Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 17 at Gateway Community College (GCC) in the Community Room, North Building, N100. The ceremony marks the transition from student to professional for 54 graduates.

A time-honored tradition, pinning ceremonies trace their origins to nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, who received the Cross of St. George from Britain’s Queen Victoria in 1855 for her service in caring for injured British soldiers. When special nursing schools were later founded using Nightingale’s principles and practices, the awarding of pins and medals to outstanding graduates became increasingly common until it was eventually established as a rite of passage from student to practitioner.

The following students are in the Nursing Class of 2013:

Ansonia residents Cheryl Miller and Joseph Perrotti
Branford residents Ashley Biondello, Stephen Buckley, Matthew Evans, Kristina Selander, and Alianna Williams
Bridgeport resident Claudia Medina
Bristol resident Ana Linda Albrecht
Derby resident Katelyn Dure
East Haven residents Frank Cinque, Carolyn Downey, Teresa Testa, and Jamie Wortman
Guilford residents Annunziata Germana, and Karen Sousa
Hamden residents Gaia Mwabuki, and Steve Yee
Meriden residents Alicia Riley, and Kathryn Solis
Middletown resident Loreta Brewer
Milford resident Samantha SaNogueira
Milldale residents Charles Chua, and Christian Chua
Mount Carmel resident Joanna Danielewicz
New Haven residents Anita Obidigbo, Claudia Ramos, Heather Renckowski, Alyssa Serra, Saood Shaikh, and Redonna Welcome
North Haven residents Terra Ferraro, and Tracy Fusco
Old Lyme resident Arlene Touranjoe
Orange resident Eleanor Hylinski
Plainville resident Tamara Vasquez
Portland resident Lisa Baars
Prospect resident Susanna Bennett
Rocky Hill resident Devoshri Mukharjee
Seymour residents Hassan Messaoudi, and Joy Vars
Shelton resident Shay Brophy
Southington resident Erin Butler
Stratford resident Geeta Sharma
Wallingford residents Andrea Cariglio, Nichole Dellaselva, Marybeth Fisher, and Melissa Miranda
West Haven residents Shannon Carmody, John Davis, Cindy Godfrey, Annette Limauro, Ashley Nuzzo Gosselin, and Carissa Teta