Twelve bachelors, twenty-one practical nursing degrees awarded Friday
Prescott, Arizona (December 16, 2025) – The future of health care in Northern Arizona took center stage at Yavapai College on Friday afternoon. Thirteen Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates; forty-four Associate of Applied Science in Nursing graduates and twenty-one Practical Nursing graduates received a rock star-reception at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center, streaming down the aisle to a soundtrack of “Pomp & Circumstance,” that could barely be heard for all the cheers.
“You’ve demonstrated the tenacity and fortitude necessary to be successful in a highly skilled profession.” Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine told the graduates. “You’ve pushed through discomfort, doubt and sacrifice to achieve something uniquely yours. So today, as we pin you and welcome you into this noble profession, know that the world needs exactly what you’ve become—skilled hands, sharp minds, and open hearts.”
The fall graduating class included student nurses who completed their coursework at both the Prescott and Verde Valley campuses. Dressed in blue scrubs, the Bachelor of Nursing, Associates Degree in Nursing, and Licensed Practical Nursing graduates shared a ceremony that blended ethics, tradition and spontaneous joy with an auditorium full of delighted family and friends.
“You didn’t just survive – you triumphed.” LPN Instructor Cynthia Estrella told the graduates. “Nursing is both a science and an art and you’ve learned to navigate both. But you’ve also learned the human side.” She counseled them to remain compassionate, even when the work becomes grueling. “There will be days when the call lights never stop. When the patient insists that ‘Dr. Google’ knows more than you.”
“But there will also be days when something small reminds you why you chose this path. A patient’s smile. A thank you note. Holding a hand in someone’s most vulnerable moments. A moment when you realize, ‘I can make someone’s day better.’ Those moments will carry you in a time of rapid change.”
The Nursing program presented awards at each academic level. Leadership awards went to: Alex Silva (ADN/Prescott Campus); Natasha Leach (ADN/Verde Campus); and Karina Cardenas Tapia (LPN).
Scholarship Award recipients were: Amanda Kelsey (BSN); Joshua Richie (ADN/Prescott Campus); Hannah Shumway (ADN/Verde Campus); and Fallon Foutz (LPN).
The emotional highlight of the graduation, the pinning ceremony, harkens back to the days of Florence Nightingale, who was decorated for service in the Crimean War. In a Yavapai College tradition, graduates are called to the stage, one-by-one, and pinned by family members or loved ones, while the graduate’s recorded statement of thanks plays on the speakers above.
The ceremony concluded with Dr. Marylou Mercado, Vice President of Workforce Development, Health Sciences and Public Service, who led the new nurses in the Florence Nightingale Pledge.
Then the ceremony presented the Yavapai College Nursing Program’s Fall 2025 graduating class:
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING (RN-BSN)
Ekklesia Breed, Diana Cardoza, Cycy Dang, Amanda Kelsey, Alma Kim, Gabriela Lobue, Rhys Meyjes, Chyleah Novak-Thompson, Patricia Robinson, Jordan Rogers, Emma Sullivan, Gina Tury, and Lauren Zeller
ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE IN NURSING
Michelle Bedolla, Ellen Blair, Tyler Brimer, Karli Child, Amberlee Church, Chloe Cornell Madison Daley, Johnathan Damschroder, Lacy Davenport, Kerrancy Deprez, Jordan Douglas, Crystal Dumford, Alaina Farrell, Emily Grinter, Anthony Grossman, Natalie Hansen, Brittany Jacobs, Anna Key, McKenna Kinsley, Mellady Krankel, Natasha Leach, Mara Leake, Lane Liljenquist, Erika Maestas, Lisandro McCarter, Brandon Miller, Cameron Murphy, Alayna O’Neill, Emma Pearce, Zoey Peters, Micajah Rice, Joshua Richie, Omar Rojas, Janie Rudy, Dana Rutherford, Alyx Sarisky, Breonah Semke, Hannah Shumway, Alex Silva, Latissa Stamper, Kallie Thomas, Joshua Vincent, Megan Young, and Anna Zea
PRACTICAL NURSING GRADUATES
Carina Cardenas Tapia, Jessica Conway, Fallon Foutz, Luke Gale, Samantha Gray, Kee’Sean Green, Alyssa Hamm, Jenna Lafferty, Gabriell Langford, Mariah Loftin, Cassidee Low, Alisha McLaughlin, Rebecca Morris, Skylar Pierce, Savannah Rens, Emily Robinson, Evelyn Rodriguez, Traci Rodriguez, Perley Sweany, Valeria Torres, and Erika Weaver
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over one hundred degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.