Nursing students donate graduation funds

The TSJC Nurse’s graduating class was all smiles donating food to the nurses at San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center. From left, nursing graduates Christina Striplin, Amanda Herrera, Loretta Lowder, and Instructor Nate Haslett stand with the food donation, with Joelle Valdez, RN and Jane Self happily accepting their generosity on behalf of the nurses working upstairs.

While the Coronavius pandemic has caused events to be cancelled all across the San Luis Valley, one group decided to take the negative outcome and turn it into a positive one.

Because of the state’s recent limitations on public gatherings, Trinidad State Junior College recently had to cancel its Alamosa Nurse Pinning Ceremony that was scheduled for May 7. The graduation was to celebrate and honor those who had completed their education in nursing at the college.

To help pay for the celebration, the class had been fundraising the last few years. Now, with the graduation cancelled, the group came together and decided to use the money raised to show their support of the nurses at San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center. So on in April, members of the graduating class surprised the nurses with breakfast snacks and a beverage.

“This act of caring for others shows that our future nurses and the community can share the values in which we would like to be associated,” said Instructor Nathan Haslett, RN, BSN.

The TSJC Nursing Graduating Class of 2020 is: Danielle Abel, Samantha Armenta, Mary Baldwin, Savanna Edgar, Jeniffer Garcia, Mirella Gonzales, Wendi Harrison, Amanda Herrera, Loretta Lowder, Kaitlin Miner, Tori Mortensen, James Pacheco, Erika Saari, Janet Spoerl, Christina Striplin, Rebekah Trodick and Moriah Trujillo.