Local Nursing Students Recognized During Pinning Ceremony

Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 -- 12:01 PM

 Mid-State Technical College recognized the achievements of its 44 Nursing program completers in a pinning ceremony May 20 on the Wisconsin Rapids Campus.

Graduates were joined by their family and friends in the celebration. The nursing pinning ceremony is a celebratory endcap to a nursing student’s academic journey and a bridge between nursing school and a nursing career.

It honors and celebrates nursing students and their path to becoming a nurse. It is also a day of celebration for the nursing faculty who have helped the students reach their goals.

“My favorite part about the Nursing program was learning from my instructors, not just through lectures,” said Laura Ewer, Pittsville, who was accepted into the Critical Care Nurse Residency Program in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at Marshfield Medical Center after graduation.

“Whether it was a piece of advice during clinicals, a moment of encouragement after a tough day or simply the way they treated their patients and students, those moments taught me more than a textbook ever could.”

“I was inspired to pursue a career in nursing by my CNA instructor, Jody Gruetzmacher,” Ewer added. “She had this incredible way of caring for people with confidence, compassion and grace. Watching her made me realize that nursing isn’t just a job, it’s a calling, and I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps.”

For Mid-State’s pinning ceremony, each graduating student selects a registered nurse who is a family member, friend or faculty member to join them on stage to place the nursing pin on the graduate during the ceremony, welcoming them into the profession of nursing.

“Success in nursing is based on collaboration,” said Kelly Nelson, dean of the School of Nursing. “When we care for a patient, there is a whole team that works toward one goal, improvement. In nursing school, the collaboration is between the student, faculty, peers, staff and families.”

“As our graduates prepare to take the NCLEX and transition into the professional workforce, they carry with them the spirit of teamwork that has defined their journey through nursing school” Nelson added. “Their collaboration doesn’t end at graduation—it expands to include colleagues across disciplines, patients, families and the broader healthcare community.”

Some local recipients of Mid-State’s spring 2025 Nursing graduates recognized in the May 20 nursing pinning ceremony include:

Casey Bartels – Wisconsin Rapids

Jessica Capogreca – Wisconsin Rapids

Chloe Drews – Marshfield

Laura Ewer – Pittsville

Mykayla Gerretsen – Marshfield

Jaime Grossman – Pittsville

Ashley Herman – Marshfield

Lynn Hetzel – Wisconsin Rapids

Stephanie Jahnz – Wisconsin Rapids

Niah Jakel – Marshfield

Meghan Kibbel – Spencer

Theresa Michalsen – Wisconsin Rapids

Emma Oliver – Marshfield

Amanda Osburn – Marshfield

Maddie Paitel – Wisconsin Rapids

Angi Vilcinskas – Wisconsin Rapids

Learn more about nursing pinning and Mid-State’s Nursing program at mstc.edu/nursing-pinning.

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