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Medora McNair of Brandon, who describes herself as “22 times 2,” said getting her associate degree in nursing at �������� Thursday was “a long time in coming.”

The 44-year-old wife and mother, whose daughter is a pre-law student at Mississippi College, had one degree as a certified nursing assistant and decided to return to become a nurse. Having two college students in the household at the same time made life interesting, she said.

Medora McNair

“I guess it was just my time,” said McNair, who plans to return to her former employer, Premier Medical Group in Jackson. “I’ve always wanted to do it.”

Nearly 800 ��������students graduate Thursday and Friday, Dec. 20, in a series of four ceremonies on the Raymond Campus.

��������President Dr. Clyde Muse said those are record numbers for a fall ceremony. “We are pleased with the fact that we are continuing to graduate more students each year,” he said.

Of those, a little more than 500 chose to participate in a ceremony. Twenty-eight graduates have perfect 4.0 grade point averages for summa cum laude, 63 have 3.60 to 3.99 grade point averages, magna cum laude and 160 have 3.20 to 3.59 grade point averages, cum laude.

 “Only you can define your success,” said Charlotte Dupre’, chief executive officer for Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, who spoke Thursday to graduates of ��������’s nursing and allied health programs.

Dupre’ quizzed her staff members about what she should tell the nursing and allied health graduates about post-graduation and came up with a 12-point message

Those include learning how to handle difficult patients and family members, looking professional learning compassion and empathy.

“It is a never-ending story. As we continue to grow our services, we learn new methods and gain new experiences,” she said.

Jane Flowers, Work-Based Learning coordinator at Hinds’ Vicksburg-Warren Campus as well as the faculty honoree for the legislative HEADWAE program in February, is the speaker on Dec. 20 for students whose last names begin with A to J at 10 a.m. and those whose last names begin with K to Z at 2 p.m.

For more information, see the ��������website at