TESU Celebrates Nursing Program Cohort with a Pinning Ceremony

The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions at Thomas Edison State University celebrated 24 pre-licensure nursing students from its August 2025 Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program with a pinning ceremony at the New Jersey State Museum on Aug. 21.

The ceremony heralded the students’ entrance into the nursing profession after completing the intensive 15-month program and also served as a poignant reminder of the challenges the students faced together, both in and outside the classroom.

“This cohort experienced the loss of a fellow student, Qui’Asia Brown, of Trenton, N.J., who unexpectedly passed away in April,” noted Linda Wicker, R.N., MSN, a nurse educator in the program. “We presented her family members with an honorary nursing pin during the ceremony. Fellow students, especially those who trained alongside her during clinicals, were deeply affected by the loss. Still, this group demonstrated remarkable resilience, solidarity and focus throughout their journey.”

During the event, Emilie Gingras from Pennington, N.J., and Bryan Mata Guzman from Edgewater, N.J., were inducted into the School’s Upsilon Rho Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society. Anthony McGuire from Lanoka Harbor, N.J., received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students, which recognizes those who demonstrate compassion and a dedication to patient and family care during clinical rotations. Susan Blake, an academic support coordinator at the School, was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators.

Students in the program completed a combination of on-site lectures, online coursework at TESU and with on-site clinical experiences with community partners BAYADA Scholars/Cooper University Health Care, Trenton Emergency Medical Services, Vitality Hospice, Compassus Home Health Care, Woods Services, Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, St. Peter’s University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell. Program completers are now eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) before officially entering the profession.

TESU’s Accelerated BSN Program is known for consistently high NCLEX pass rates and offers three admission cycles and start dates per year. For more information about the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions, visit tesu.edu/nursing.