PRESS RELEASE: APRIL 29, 2026

SJR State celebrates nursing graduates

The Academic Excellence Award was presented to Melissa Eads and Shannon Jacobsen.

Michael Smith and Chad Zingarelli were awarded the Florence Nightingale Award.

St. Johns River State College recently held a pinning ceremony to recognize the Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) students. A continued tradition of Florence Nightingale, the pinning ceremony symbolizes the rite of passage into the nursing profession and the care and devotion nurses provide. Graduates received a pin that serves as a reminder of their purpose to serve the sick and infirmed.

ASN graduates from the Orange Park and Palatka campus programs include students from St. Johns, Clay, Duval, Flagler and Putnam counties: Joanie Barrett, Rebecca Beausoleil, Olivia Berarducci, Earl Bercide, Catherine Bowden, Tia Brown, Brenna Carmichael, Gabrielle C. Carmona, Ashley Chicoine, Rayana Childers, Makenzie Clemons, Melissa Cross, Marvelous Davis, Kailie DeLong, Jessica Dutt, Melissa Eads, Elizabeth Edwards, Joselyn Flores, Widelene Fonrose, Kayla M. Goodwin, Nevaeh Graham, Alicia Guardiola, Ian Guilmet, Chlarissa Gustafson, Emma Hatcher, Leysis Heidecker, Vince Hernandez, Cailee Hodges, Kaitlin Horak, Mariel Hueston, Shannon Jacobsen, Kensington Lannom, Christine Layne, Amanda Lippincott, Hannah Merrill, Raeann Nicholas, Madelyn Nicholson, Ransom Parker, Lydia Ramos, Melissa Reed, Aliya Rodriguez, Alyssa Smith, Michael Smith, Rebecca Staefe, Nicole Storm, Eduardo Vasquez, Catherine Villaverde, Ryan Wilde, Ashly Wilhelm, Payten Worthington and Chad Zingarelli.

During the ceremony, Michael Smith and Chad Zingarelli were awarded the Florence Nightingale Award for demonstrating outstanding compassion toward others, leadership in class and devotion to clients and their families. The Academic Excellence Award was presented to Melissa Eads and Shannon Jacobsen.

SJR State’s nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, and classes are offered at the Palatka, Orange Park and St. Augustine campuses.

SJR State offers additional health programs such as respiratory care, medical assisting EMT/paramedic, sonography, health information technology and radiologic technology. For more information on degree and certificate programs in the health care field, call (386) 312-4176 or visit SJRstate.edu.

Photos from the ceremony can be viewed SJR State's flickr page.

Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) - Orange Park Campus graduates.

Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) - Palatka Campus graduates.