Graduates encouraged to follow their curiosity

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing honored the graduation of students in the Master of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and PhD programs at a commencement ceremony Dec. 13 at Northrop.

Rhonda Kazik, DNP, RN, CENP, FAAN, chief nurse executive of Essentia Health, delivered the commencement address, encouraging graduates to follow their curiosity. “I have an image for your future. The image is that your curiosity will guide each of you to things that will bring you delight and astonishment in both life and practice and will in turn, further enhance and grow the professional practice of nursing,” she said. “We all benefit from your curiosity.”

Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, called upon graduates to carry forward the collaborative approach they learned at the School of Nursing. “As you embark on your career, encourage others to follow the path you have taken and work together to make our health care system not only better but more representative of all the communities it serves.”

The commencement ceremony was held at the end of the school’s 115^th anniversary year. Throughout the year, the School of Nursing celebrated its legacy as the first nursing school established at an institution of higher education. “Our school was founded on the principles that educating nurses, not just training them, which was the dominant practice at the time, would help society recognize three things: recognize the worth of human life, conserve human health and provide for social justice,” Delaney said.

Master of Nursing graduate Chad Fleischhacker, BS, celebrated the power of resilience in his remarks on behalf of students. “We will fail and we will have mishaps in our careers, I guarantee it. We get back up. We keep going. We show resilience,” he said. “Because that is part of what being a nurse is. Admitting that we are wrong and learning how we can do better next time.”

Regent Ruth E. Johnson, MD, conferred the degrees to the graduates.

School of Nursing Alumni Society Board President Laura Kirk, PhD, RN, celebrated the new alumni and introduced the Pinning Ceremony, a tradition in which faculty presents new nurses with the school’s pin. The ceremony, which goes back more than 100 years, honors the entry of new nursing graduates into the profession.

“As our new graduates you represent both the future of nursing and the School of Nursing’s legacy,” Kirk said. “Graduates of the Class of 2024, we are so glad you are here. You make us very proud. Congratulations, be well, stay in touch, stay warm and remember to try to enjoy the ride.”