William Carey University’s 2021 nursing graduates achieved a 100 percent “pass rate” on the NCLEX licensing exam – the only bachelor’s degree nursing program in the state to achieve this benchmark. Not only did all the graduates of WCU’s Hattiesburg and Tradition campuses pass the exam, but they also passed on their first attempt.
The Mississippi Board of Nursing released this news in a yearly report based on data from NCLEX, the National Council Licensure Examination.
“I am exceedingly proud of our 2021 nursing graduates on their remarkable scores. The unstinting work of the faculty has given these graduates the highest possible academic and clinical skills. Dr. Alicia Newell, our dean of nursing, and her team have done an amazing job. We will continue to strive to assist in decreasing the nursing shortage with highly qualified graduates,” said Dr. Janet Williams, WCU’s vice president of health sciences.
With more than 500,000 registered nurses expected to retire in 2022, and demands of the pandemic on health care systems, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 1.1 million nurses are needed now to ease existing nursing shortage.
“William Carey congratulates the College of Health Sciences for an outstanding achievement made possible by the diligence and hard work of its nursing students and faculty. The university has produced highly skilled nurses for decades and we’re working to expand our ability to address the needs of our community, state and region,” said WCU President Dr. Tommy King.
Here’s a look at the WCU School of Nursing’s 2021 graduates.
Hattiesburg campus:
Dikshya Adhikari of Hattiesburg
MacKenzie Amos of Brandon
Ashley Bond of Biloxi
Alexa Brown of Brandon
Kimberlyn Michelle Clark of Summit
Kaneesha Cooley of Laurel
Tekiyah Cooper of Wiggins
Emma Culliver of Poplarville
Deseren Taniya Dillon of Tylertown
Lauren Madison Dunn of Petal
Alexa Fisher of Hattiesburg
Faith Nicole Gavin of Soso
Jason Edward Smith Gieger of Hattiesburg
Katrina Grahn of Poplarville
Kelly E. Graves of Ellisville
Abigail Joyleen Alldredge Greer of Petal
Princess Keria Abreail Greer of Ellisville
Brianna Harding of Petal
Megan Kelly of Purvis
April Nichole Kittrell of Lucedale
Tyler Tyrell Levi Lewis of Hattiesburg
Grace Livingston of Ellisville
Trey Lott of Hattiesburg
Brandon Mazur of Long Beach
Pamela Griffith Moffett of Collins
Rebecca Butler Palmer of Moselle
Thomas George Pennell of Wiggins
Colton Pittman of Purvis
Abigail Powell of Waynesboro
Madlin Reed of Lumberton
Jalia Richard of Seminary
Courtney U’na Sanders of Hattiesburg
Noel Nicole Smith of Heidelberg
Kelsey Strahan of Poplarville
Matthew Kevin Thigpen of Columbia
Matthew “Hayes” Trexler of Hattiesburg
Sheldyn Turner of Hattiesburg
Tradition/Biloxi campus:Mark Bagwell of Gulfport
Jessica Baham of New Orleans
Allyson Binninger of Picayune
Emily Bond of Perkinston
Viktoria Castanos of Moss Point
Krista Chambers of Long Beach
Savannah Cool of Bay Saint Louis
Jillian Brooke Cran of Waynesboro
Destiny Cuevas (Watson) of Pass Christian
Shakel Dacosta of Biloxi
Melissa Dionne of Ocean Springs
Lacey Dulaney of Ocean Springs
Natalie Dyle of Gautier
Charles Gilbert of Picayune
Tanisha Jackson of Biloxi
Lana Johns of Ocean Springs
Hevyn Kergosien of Long Beach
Edee Liles of Wiggins
Kaleia Lillis of Pascagoula
Katherine Lindegren of Biloxi
Crystal Locklar of Perkinston
Frankecha Macfie of Gulfport
Rebecca Nash of Lucedale
Sarah Nations of Wiggins
Quynh Hguyen of Biloxi
Laura Jimenez-Ortiz of Biloxi
Sarah Pinero of Gulfport
Justin Smith of Biloxi
Summer Smith of Long Beach
Kimberly Spiers of Picayune
Ashley Sutton of New Orleans
Quiona Thomas of Biloxi
Vivian Tran of Biloxi
Heather Vaughn of Diamondhead
Elisabeth Wallace of Biloxi
In the photo:Meagan Montgomery, WCU director of undergraduate nursing, works with a student during a lab at the Hattiesburg campus.
