WVU Nursing sophomores pledge commitment to their future profession during ceremony
Pictured from left: Zakiah Bailey, Ella Tingler, Gabrielle Wright, Zyiah Bailey and Catherine Anderson pose for a photo before the 2022 Fall Pledge Ceremony.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia University School of Nursing formally welcomed the sophomore class of May 2025 into the study of nursing during the Fall 2022 Nursing Pledge Ceremony, held Sept. 9 in the Okey Patteson Auditorium.
“This is your first step of many in the path of nursing,” said Dr. Tanya Rogers, Associate Dean of Academics. Rogers encouraged students to find support in their friends and family, as the nursing curriculum will be rigorous.
“We have first-class faculty here, and you will have great clinical experiences,” Rogers continued. “It’s going to be tough, but you’re here because you can rise to the challenge.”
Joanne Watson, Director of BSN Programs, led the greeting and presentation of the class. Dr. Alexis Hicks, Assistant Professor, led the recitation of the Student Pledge and Andrea Bailey, Instructor, led the recitation of the International Pledge.
For Matthew Wolfe, the ceremony is a commitment to the lifelong responsibility of nursing.
“The Pledge Ceremony for me shows our commitment to helping others and really preparing to accept the responsibility we’re going to hold for the rest of our lives as nurses, even beyond our retirement,” Wolfe said.
He said he wants to become a nurse so he can give back to the nurses who’ve taken care of him.
“My mother has been a nurse for about 30 years now, and she’s my greatest inspiration,” Wolfe said. “I’ve just seen how rewarding of a career it is for her, and it’s something I’d love to be a part of.”
Carrying on the family tradition was an important milestone for Paige Gabriele as well.
“I come from a family of doctors and nurses,” Gabriele explained. “My grandma was a nursing advisor and administrator here, so it’s a personal connection in that way, so I get to carry on her legacy since she passed a few years ago.”
Gabriele said she’s excited to reach the hands-on phase of her nursing curriculum, to be able to interact in a clinical setting with patients.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to help people,” she said. “It bothers me when I see someone physically or emotionally in destress and I’m not able to do anything. Being able to have those skills on deck, I’ll be able to help anyone and everyone I possibly can.”
She said her parents, who are both in healthcare, have been able to apply their skills in their everyday lives and she’s looking forward to being able to do the same.
Visit the WVU School of Nursing YouTube channel to view the ceremony.
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CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu