School of Nursing Spring Commencement 2017

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing celebrated the graduation of students from its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Nursing (MN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and PhD in Nursing programs at a spring commencement ceremony held May 12, 2017, at Northrop. The ceremony honored the academic achievements and professional readiness of graduates who are prepared to lead, serve, and innovate across a wide range of health care settings.

Cindy Kent, MBA, MDiv, president and general manager of 3M Drug Delivery Systems Division, delivered the commencement address, drawing on her more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Kent encouraged graduates to be bold in their purpose, to lead with compassion, and to never underestimate the power of their voice.

“Your journey doesn’t end with this degree—it begins. You now carry the responsibility to lead in uncertain times, to serve with both skill and soul, and to advocate for those who may never walk into a hospital but need your care just the same,” said Kent. “Lead with integrity, anchor yourself in purpose, and always remember the human being behind the patient.”

Kent, an ordained minister and healthcare executive, has been recognized as one of the “Top 35 Women Leaders in Healthcare” by the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST of Minnesota, and has received numerous awards, including the Society of Women Engineers’ Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award and the Twin Cities Business Journal’s “Top 40 under Forty.” She currently serves on the Board of Visitors for Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and the Board of Trustees for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

Emily Jasperson spoke on behalf of BSN students, sharing how the faculty, peers, and mentors shaped her educational experience. “The University of Minnesota is more than just a campus—it’s a community,” said Jasperson. “We’ve learned from some of the most passionate educators and practiced alongside preceptors who reminded us what it truly means to be a nurse. As we step forward, we carry their example with us.”

Sheryl Ramstad, JD, MN, RN, PHN, spoke on behalf of the DNP graduates, reflecting on the collective resilience of the class. “We are prepared not only to treat illness but to transform healthcare,” said Ramstad. “This degree is more than academic—it is a call to innovate, to lead, and to advocate.”
Dean Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, acknowledged the significance of the moment for graduates and the world they are entering. She urged graduates to follow the legacy of Richard Olding Beard, who helped establish the school in 1909, by continuing to address the needs of underserved communities and promoting equity in health care. “Your perseverance will make a difference. In fact, it already is,” said White Delaney. “Class of 2025, use your degrees to write a bold, brighter future and, consequently, history, by focusing on the health, wellbeing, and flourishing of our people, communities and our planet.”

White Delaney presented the graduates to Regent Dean E. Johnson, chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. Johnson conferred the degrees to the graduates on behalf of the University.

BSN students participated in the School of Nursing’s traditional Pinning Ceremony, a rite of passage dating back more than 100 years. Each graduate received the School of Nursing pin, presented by faculty, symbolizing the graduate’s transition into professional practice. The pin includes four symbols representing the dimensions of higher education: the antique lamp (metaphysical sciences), the telescope (physical sciences), the plow (industrial arts), and the artist’s palette (fine arts). The cross of St. George, displayed above and below the shield, has long stood for unselfish service.

“As our newest graduates, you represent both the future of nursing and the School of Nursing’s legacy,” said Laura Kirk, PhD, RN, president of the School of Nursing Alumni Society. “Graduates of the Class of 2025, we are so glad you are here. You make us so very proud.”

For more information on the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, visit http://www.nursing.umn.edu

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