Thomas Edison State University (TESU) marked a major milestone for 24 pre-licensure nursing students from its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program with a pinning ceremony held at the New Jersey State Museum on Aug. 21. The event celebrated the students’ completion of the intensive 15-month program and their official entrance into the nursing profession.
The ceremony also served as a moment to remember Qui’Asia Brown, a fellow student from Trenton who passed away unexpectedly in April. Her family was presented with an honorary nursing pin, a tribute that highlighted the cohort’s “remarkable resilience, solidarity and focus throughout their journey,” according to Linda Wicker, a nurse educator in the program.
Several students and a staff member received special recognition during the event. Emilie Gingras of Pennington and Bryan Mata Guzman of Edgewater were inducted into the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society. Anthony McGuire from Lanoka Harbor received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students, which honors compassion and dedication to patient care. In recognition of her support for the students, Susan Blake, an academic support coordinator, was also presented with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators.
The graduates completed a rigorous program that combined on-site lectures, online coursework, and hands-on clinical experiences at a variety of local healthcare partners. These included prominent institutions like Cooper University Health Care, St. Peter’s University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, and Penn Medicine Princeton Health.
With the program now complete, the new graduates are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), the final step before they officially begin their careers as registered nurses.
