AAN’s Miyamoto tells graduates their future is now

The School of Nursing celebrated the graduation of 174 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 105 Doctor of Nursing Practice and 2 PhD students at a ceremony May 15 at Northrop. The ceremony also included the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing and the Institute for Health Informatics.

Suzanne Miyamoto, PhD, RN, FAAN, CEO of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), delivered the commencement address, reflecting on optimism and the future. 

“The upheaval and tragedy your incredible city has witnessed, particularly over the last six years, will also make your class more aware of the impact that unfiltered power can have as well as the incredible importance of compassion and understanding,” said Miyamoto. “You are not inheriting a perfect system. You’re inheriting an opportunity and that is a far more powerful thing.”

She encouraged graduate to embrace their power. “Graduates this is your time. Your future is now,” she said.

Joaquin Barba spoke on behalf of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, noting they are a community driven to make change. “Healthcare is changing. The world is changing. And now, we stand at the edge of that change. The question is: will we rise to meet it,” said Barba.

DNP student Sumaya Mohamud, BSN, spoke on behalf of doctoral students, reflecting on how healthcare has become a casualty of conflict and oppression. “I believe that we're uniquely equipped to be the leaders and drivers of these changes, the choices we make, how we use our voices and what we stand for, will shape the future,” she said. “And so I urge you to actively and consciously challenge your biases, to always advocate for marginalized voices, especially when it seems daunting and scary, and to always consider the social, economic and cultural impacts of your work.”

Dola Greene, BA, who spoke on behalf Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching program, stressed the power of presence. “Our work is so slow down, to listen and to truly see the people in front of us. Healthcare doesn’t just need your knowledge. It needs your presence, your compassion, your humanity,” she said.

Prajwal M. Pradhan, MPH, spoke on behalf of the PhD in Health Informatics program. He said with the methods that exist today and with generative artificial intelligence, they can produce individualized estimates faster than ever before. “What we haven’t figured out is how to communicate those estimates to the clinicians and to patients in a way that supports a treatment decision. Now that is a gap between a model that exists and a life that’s changed. As health informaticians, that work is waiting for us,” he said.

Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, reflected on the diverse professional backgrounds, perspectives and strengths in teamwork required to achieve better health outcomes.

“Graduates of the School of Nursing, Bakken Center, and Institute for Health Informatics, our future is in now your capable hands,” said White Delaney. “Use the degrees you have earned and being recognized for today to write a bolder, brighter tomorrow that focuses on the health, wellbeing, and flourishing of our people, our communities and our planet.”

White Delaney presented the graduates to Regent Mary Turner, ASN, RN, who serves as an ICU nurse at North Memorial Medical Center. Turner conferred the degrees to the graduates.

BSN students participated in a Pinning Ceremony, which is a nursing tradition that dates back more than 100 years where new nurses are presented with the school’s pin by faculty. It represents a symbolic welcoming of new graduates into the nursing profession. The School of Nursing pin features four symbols representing the four dimensions of higher education: the antique lamp represents the metaphysical sciences, the telescope represents the physical sciences, the plow represents the industrial arts and the artist’s palette represents the fine arts. Above and below the shield is the cross of St. George, which for centuries has stood for unselfish service. 

“As our newest graduates, you represent both the future of nursing and the School of Nursing’s legacy,” said Savannah Zins, PhD, RN, School of Nursing Alumni Society president. “Graduates of the Class of 2026, you make us very, very proud.”