Seven Blinn Vocational Nursing Program graduates pinned

Ceremony on Brenham Campus honors students for dedication

August 11, 2026

Seven Blinn College District Vocational Nursing Program graduates recently were honored at a pinning ceremony in the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center on the Brenham Campus.

Graduates pinned were:

• Elida Arreola – College Station
• Jayden Blount – Taylor
• Chloe Dumas – Beaumont
• Mary Hayden – Caldwell
• Morgan Heathcott – Brenham
• Elizabeth Miller – College Station
• Megan Santizo – Sugarland

“It was very rewarding, very challenging,” Dumas said. “The instructors were very helpful. We could talk to them anytime when it came to exams or uncertainty. I’m sure all of us have sent frantic emails at all hours of the night. They either responded or discussed it with us the first thing the next morning to give us a sense of security.”

Dumas plans to move back to Beaumont, where she will be in the Licensed Vocational Nurses residency program at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas.

“I’ve always had a passion for care,” she said. “I have a background as a veterinary technician for the past six years, and I decided to take the step from animal medicine to human medicine.”

Dr. Michelle Marburger, Vocational Nursing Program Director, praised the class for being “tough and resilient.” She also thanked “the village of people who supported these graduates in a non-traditional nursing program.”

“You often hear that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village to raise a nurse,” Marburger added.

Jay Anderson, Vice Chancellor for Applied Sciences, Workforce, and Economic Development, told the graduates that their nursing pins represent the commitment required to complete the program.

“It signifies your diligent study, the discipline required to meet rigorous academic and clinical standards, and your commitment serving others,” Anderson said. “You have prepared yourself for a degree that demands technical skill, sound judgment, compassion, and integrity. Each of you is now entrusted with the responsibility to care for individuals and families at 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, with one cohort starting in the fall semester and one starting in the spring semester.

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.

The application for spring 2027 admission to the Vocational Nursing Program will be open from Sept. 17 through Nov. 6. Applications for fall 2027 admission will be open March 4, 2027, through April 16, 2027. Before applying, students must attend an online information session.

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

About the Blinn College District

With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.

PHOTO: Blinn Vocational Nursing graduates received pins signifying completion of the program. Honored were (from left) Mary Hayden, Morgan Heathcott, Chloe Dumas, Jayden Blount, Megan Santizo, Elizabeth Miller, and Elida Arreola.