Seventeen Blinn College vocational nursing graduates honored at pinning ceremony

Ceremony recognizes completion of rigorous program

June 15, 2026

Seventeen graduates of the Blinn College District Vocational Nursing Program were recognized at a recent pinning ceremony in the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center on the Brenham Campus.

Graduates honored for completing the rigorous program were:

• Skylar Buth – Industry
• Alma Crispin Vergara – College Station
• Breanna Fonseca – College Station
• Lauren Hernandez – Giddings
• Jaeden Kuck – Danbury
• Emily Lewis – Mont Belvieu
• Angela Lopez – Houston
• Emily Oldham – Magnolia
• Holly Oldham – Hempstead
• Brooke Olszewski – Houston
• Wendy Orocio – Giddings
• Tatum Self – Iola
• Chelsea Soanes – Navasota
• Hayden Splawn – La Grange
• Lola Warren – Portsmouth, Va.
• Sophia Willis – Iola
• Haylee Wood – Bastrop

“I got into nursing because I’ve seen what a good nurse can do for somebody and how they can change their day,” said Splawn, who plans to earn additional certifications. “I wanted to be able to give my thanks and give back.”

Jay Anderson, Vice Chancellor for Applied Sciences, Workforce, and Economic Development, praised graduates for completing the program.

“It symbolizes your ability to study, the discipline required to meet rigorous academic and clinical standards, and your commitment to serving others through the health professions,” Anderson said. “You have prepared yourself for a career that demands technical skills, solid judgment, and compassion and integrity. Each of you is now entrusted to care for individuals and their families during some of their most critical moments. That trust is earned, and today we celebrate that you are ready to uphold it.”

Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program consists of classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences in area healthcare facilities.

Clinical rotations are held at hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the area. Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination and are considered licensed vocational nurses after passing both exams. Over the last three years, almost 98% of program graduates have found jobs in the profession.

Program graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) and the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination and are considered licensed vocational nurses after passing both exams.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 annual median pay for a vocational nurse was $62,340. Almost 98% of Blinn’s graduates from the program during the past three years have found jobs in the profession.

For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.