SPINDALE (July 31, 2009) - Twelve Foothills Surgical Technology Consortium students were awarded their pins at a special ceremony recently.

The Pinning Ceremony, held on Thursday, July 30, in the Crane Resistoflex Auditorium at McDowell Technical Community College, is the traditional graduation event for the students in the Surgical Technology program. The partners in the Foothills Surgical Technology Consortium include Isothermal, Cleveland and McDowell Technical community colleges.

The graduates of the 2009 class are Shekelia Renée Adams, Rachel Lynn Atchley, Hannah Rebekah Cudd, Kelly Marie Hamrick, Suzanne Marie White Kunzig, Misty Wright Ledford, Kathryn Elizabeth McCall, Jennifer Lee Schacher, Leslie Christine Scott, Abby Brooke Sneed, Amanda Sain Styers and Rachel Marie Weaver.

The class was presented and introductions were made by instructor Cathy Dover, CST. Shirley Brown, vice president of Learning and Student Services, welcomed the graduates along with their friends and families to the McDowell Technical Community College campus.

An invocation was given by Penny Cross, dean of Health Services at McDowell Technical, before special music by graduate Amanda Styers and a talk by Dr. Robert Morrow of McDowell Surgical Services.

Program director Wanda Leonard, CST, AAS, introduced Morrow.

Dover recognized the program’s clinical affiliates, which include: Cleveland Regional Medical Center, Cleveland Ambulatory Surgery Center, Caromont Healthcare Systems, Gaston Memorial Hospital, Gaston Ambulatory Surgery Center, Gaston Specialty Surgical Center, Blue Ridge Healthcare, Grace Hospital, Valdese Hospital, Spruce Pine Hospital, Rutherford Hospital, McDowell Hospital and Upstate Carolina Medical Center.

After Leonard and Dover presented the students with their pins, a student from each of the FNC’s institutions spoke - Hannah Cudd from Isothermal, Amanda Styers from Cleveland and Kathryn McCall from McDowell. Leslie Scott made remarks on behalf of the entire class.

The Academic Achievement Award was given to Misty Ledford and the Clinical Achievement Award was given to Hannah Cudd.

For more information on Isothermal’s Surgical Technology program, contact Porter at 828-286-3636, ext. 361.

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