CCC pinning ceremonies this week

CLOVIS — Clovis Community College's Allied Health Division will crown the achievements of Fall 2016 graduates within the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) and Nursing programs with pinning ceremonies slated for this week.

School officials said the PTA pinning will be 6 p.m. today at Clovis Community College's Town Hall, while the Nursing program pinning ceremony will be held 1 p.m. Friday at the Clovis Civic Center.

Delilah Vargas and Samantha Walls are wrapping up work in the PTA and Nursing programs, respectively, and recently shared a myriad of insights regarding their academic pursuits, among other related topics.

The Clovis Community College PTA program, which recently received full accreditation from Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), is pinning the first graduating class for the program while the nurse's pinning for Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse will feature student speakers Kenny Marcellus and Walls.

"This has been a whole new world for me," said Vargas, a 2011 Clovis High grad. "I really didn't know much about the field initially, and when I turned in my application they required observation hours. I worked with a lot of geriatric patients at senior homes and gained some exposure to the career. But now that I'm near completion, I'm really glad I went through with it. It's been well worth the effort."

Walls arrived at the decision to pursue a career in the health care industry after observing familial influences.

"My mother was a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), and so was my grandmother," said Walls, a San Diego, California native. "I was interested in the health care field, so I followed in their footsteps and became a CNA. I then decided to advance my career to actually become a registered nurse by watching the nurses I worked with while serving as a CNA. I saw how their knowledge, compassion and skills were so advanced and I wanted to be in that position."

Vargas said she found fostering connectivity to those in need to be a redeeming element that enhanced appeal to the physical therapist vocation.

"I like that we like to see our patients get better and we're part of the journey with them," she said. "We play a role in their healing process and it's great to be a part of that. And I like the fact we get to follow through with our patients. We don't see them for just 30 minutes - we see them for six to eight weeks, sometimes two to three times per week. That allows us to really get to know our patients."

Both Vargas and Walls said they gained inspiration from their instructors, who demonstrated leadership, patience, due diligence and attention to detail in a warm, nurturing manner. The graduates are also looking forward to the moment in which they receive their pins.

"I still can't believe it," Vargas said. "It's all been very challenging, yet fun. My daughter was in the hospital at times, but I put on a smile, attended classes and remained focus on what I had to do. I learned a lot about myself and my ability to see things through. I'm going to be grateful, relieved and happy as all of the emotions begin to come to me. I'm sure there will be some tears of joy to go along with a bit of everything else."

Walls said she will be on pins on needles as she takes her turn center stage Friday.

"I'm nervous because it's about to set in," she said. "It's real. I'm personally nervous because I'm delivering a speech. Our own instructors do the pinning and that adds a personal touch to the entire experience. Our instructors are open with self-disclosure, as it relates to their personal growth and that makes it all the more special."

Vargas served at an outpatient clinic in Portales in order to satisfy requirements for one set of clinicals and worked at a Friona, Texas, hospital where patients were in extended settings.

Walls said she plans to work local to gain hospital experience and start her bachelor's degree program next semester, with an eye toward a master's degree in education.

Walls offered the following advice for future students: "Wait to join a program until you're ready to be fully invested. You won't succeed if you don't give your all. They make the program difficult and time-consuming to make certain they give the community a good nurse."