Above: Olivia Williams of Hurricane, Utah, was the student speaker for the 10 am. Dec. 15 graduation.
Williams, the student speaker for the 10 a.m. Dec. 15 ceremony, said while she found those failures humbling, they were also an opportunity for positive growth.
Olivia Williams, who received her Associate Degree in Nursing, asked classmates to reflect on their experience in the rigorous health programs and what they were most proud of. Some of those reflections were about failures and what they learned from them.
“I hope we can walk away from today with confidence, not just in our victories but in our failures as well. The not-so-shiny stuff. The things we would never put on plaques or hang on our walls. Things like tests we bombed, the unintelligent answers we shared in class, or the damage we’ve accumulated from caffeine/sweets or other vices to comfort our sorrows from school,” said Williams, a native of Hurricane, Utah.
“While today may be a beautiful milestone for each of us and a celebration of all that has gone right, I hope that we can also take the time to celebrate all that went wrong that brought us to this point,” she said. “Today is not a stagnant time, the celebration will end and tomorrow will come. Requiring us to do things that are challenging, awkward and frustrating — allowing us to use the failures we have experienced here to help us face those opportunities with confidence and endurance.”
She has accepted a position at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Neuro ICU and in January will also begin UMC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
More than 850 students graduated from in one of two ceremonies Dec. 15 at the Muse Center on the Rankin Campus.
Jacobus Roby, a Raymond resident who has been enrolled in the Utica Campus Radio, Television Production and Broadcasting program offered the invocation at both ceremonies.
awarded nearly 1,300 credentials as many students will earn more than one credential.
President Dr. Stephen Vacik congratulated graduates on their accomplishments. “You’ve made it through late night study sessions, beyond early morning commutes, and past all the personal barriers that stood in your way,” he said. “You sit here today ready to move forward on your life’s journey, a journey that will be full of adventures, challenges, victories and probably even a few failures.”
In total, 123 students graduated cum laude with a grade point average of 3.2 to 3.59; 73 graduated magna cum laude with a grade point average of 3.6 to 3.99 and 11 graduated summa cum laude with a grade point average of 4.0.
Taia Gaskin of Clinton, spoke at the 2 p.m. ceremony on behalf of her classmates. She was a student on the Rankin Campus studying entrepreneurship. She is unsure about her specific career but does plan on creating her own path in life.
Jessica Bracy of Brandon helps Samantha McAdams of Lena with her graduation apparel before the two of them graduated.
Jacobus Roby of Raymond gave the invocation at the 10 a.m. Dec. 15 graduation.
Jennifer Ross of Hollandale, Baruch Cathings of Crystal Springs, Justine Burks of Edwards and Joni Bradford of Florence.
Jacobus Roby of Raymond, left, and Olivia Williams of Hurricane, Utah, right, were student speakers. They are with President Dr. Stephen Vacik, center.
Caitlyn Brown of Pearl graduated with a practical nursing degree. She is with her son Braylon McCoy.
From left, Breland Grayson of Byram, Lakesha Coleman of McComb, Korshawndius Ezell of Port Gibson, Jeremy Powell of Florence and Skylar Dibenedetto of St. Francisville, La.
Kelly Manguia of Pearl received an Associate Degree in Nursing. She will be working the Intensive Care Unit at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and working on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Chancey Paige, 37, of Jackson is married with three kids but even with a fulltime job she managed to get through five semesters at night to earn a practical nursing degree from on Dec. 15. She celebrated by decorating her mortar board for the ceremony. She already had a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi but said “I’ve always wanted to be a nurse.” She plans to work for the University of Mississippi Medical Center and continue her education for an Associate Degree in Nursing.
