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Graduates of the 2025 Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) program received their pins at College of The Albemarle’s (COA) annual pinning ceremony on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 in the Performing Arts Center at COA – Elizabeth City. This year, the college celebrated 25 graduates who completed more than 800 clinical training hours and 528 classroom and lab hours.

The pinning ceremony included the presentation of pins, the lighting of the Nightingale Lamps and the reciting of the International Council of Nurses’ Pledge.

During the ceremony, several A.D.N. students received esteemed recognition, awards and scholarships, acknowledging their academic excellence and perseverance.

Savanna Brigman received the Academic Excellence and Academic Recognition Award. The Academic Excellence Award is presented to the student with the highest grade point average (GPA) during the A.D.N. program, and the Academic Recognition Award is given to students who maintain a 3.5 GPA during their studies at COA.

Jacqueline Fleming received the Dr. L. Everett Sawyer Award. This award is presented to students who display outstanding abilities in all facets of nursing. It was established in 1984 in memory of Dr. Sawyer, a loyal and generous friend of COA’s A.D.N. Program. Recipients are selected by the A.D.N. faculty each year.

The Dr. Zack D. Owens and Martha Anderson Owens Nursing Endowment Scholarship was given to Savanna Brigman, Kennedy Caffrey, Valeriia Danyliuk, Jacqueline Fleming, Cassie Gavoni, Kasey Jung, Danielle Kimball, Julie Lithgow, Kali Murray, Whitney Reeser-Harris, and Sarah Wisniewski. Scholarships are presented to selected full-time nursing students who maintain a 2.5 GPA. Dr. Zack D. Owens, a surgeon in Elizabeth City, and his wife, Martha Anderson Owens, a registered nurse, formed a highly skilled medical team at Albemarle Hospital. In 1983, Dr. Owens established the endowment to provide scholarship opportunities for nursing students.

“Each of these graduates has shown extraordinary compassion and dedication to the nursing profession,” said Katie Miller, COA Associate Degree Nursing department chair and associate professor. “They’ve grown into skilled nurses ready to make a difference in the lives of patients and families across our region. We celebrate their success and the positive impact they will have in healthcare throughout our communities and beyond.”

Members of the COA Associate Degree Nursing Class of 2025 are:

• Savanna Brigman, Camden County
• Esquana Brown, Pasquotank County
• Payton Brown, Currituck County
• Kennedy Caffrey, Dare County
• Valeriia Danyliuk, Dare County
• Reagan Davis, Chowan County
• Rebecca Dileo, Currituck County
• Jacqueline Fleming, Camden County
• Cassie Gavoni, Pasquotank County
• Kayla Heilig, Dare County
• Kasey Jung, Dare County
• Colin Kelly, Dare County
• Danielle Kimball, Dare County
• Emily Kouba, Chesapeake, Virginia
• Julie Lithgow, Currituck County
• Naia Mitchell, Camden County
• Kali Murray, Perquimans County
• Virginia Reconnu, Dare County
• Whitney Reeser-Harris, Pasquotank County
• Victoria Rosenberger, Pasquotank County
• Laura Sawyer, Perquimans County
• Chelsea Smith, Camden County
• Julia Vallas, Pasquotank County
• Katrina Wall, Perquimans County
• Sarah Wisniewski, Camden County

For COA’s Associate Degree Nursing program information, go to albemarle.edu/adn or contact Kathryn Miller at kathryn_miller@albemarle.edu or 252-335-0821, ext. 2280.

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