On their first day of nursing school at Lander University, many students experienced similar emotions: excitement for the future mixed with fear, and uncertainty about the demanding road ahead. Years later, those emotions were transformed into confidence, compassion and a deep commitment to serving others.
Matthew McNeil delivered the Class Greeting to graduates and guests at the Nursing Recognition Ceremony for Lander’s William Preston Turner School of Nursing. He reflected on the journey that brought the members of Lander’s 58th baccalaureate nursing class to the milestone moment, reminding his classmates how much they had grown through long hours of study, clinical experiences and personal sacrifice.
“If this journey has proven anything, it’s that we’re ready,” said McNeil, of Abbeville. “Every one of us has worked incredibly hard to be here today. We’ve faced countless challenges and have grown into individuals who are capable of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”
As graduates prepared to begin careers in hospitals, clinics and healthcare settings across the region and beyond, McNeil encouraged them to hold tightly to the values that shaped their time at Lander. “Nursing is more than just a career,” he said. “It is a calling to serve others with compassion, knowledge and integrity.”
He also praised the bonds formed among classmates during the program’s demanding years, saying he hoped they would continue supporting one another just as they had throughout nursing school. “The future of nursing is bright because of each and every one of you,” McNeil told the graduates. “This journey wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.”
Dr. Holisa Wharton, dean of Lander’s College of Nursing, Human Performance and Health Sciences, said the program celebrated the profession of nursing and the achievements that have brought the nursing students to this moment.
“Over the past several years, we have watched them learn, grow and persevere through challenges. We now look forward to seeing them move confidently into the next chapter of their lives.”
A Legacy of Compassion
For McNeil, the profession has special meaning because his mother and brother are graduates of Lander’s nursing program. “My family is full of nurses so it seemed like a legacy I can carry on,” he said.
McNeil, who participated in the Clinical Accelerated Readiness Experience (CARE) Program at Self Regional Healthcare, will begin his nursing career at Self. “I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose in life when I am caring and advocating for those who may not have a voice.
In addition to earning his bachelor’s degree in nursing, McNeil said he learned other lessons. “I discovered a side of myself I didn’t expect. I came in thinking I was introverted, but I found that I actually really love being involved and connecting with my community. That’s definitely something I’ll carry with me.”
His best memories include “late nights studying in the library with friends, stumbling through the hard days at clinicals with my cohort and practicing nursing skills in the simulation labs.”
The last semester was a chance to “solidify lifelong friendships,” said McNeil, who plans to earn a master’s degree in the future.
The Right Path
The nursing profession was “the right path” for Katiya Zynquay Syquan Daniel “because I admire how nurses are hands-on with patients and serve as advocates for both patients and their families during vulnerable times.”
Daniel, of Blythewood, graduated with her bachelor’s degree in nursing and a minor in public health. She has accepted a job as a nurse in the intensive care unit at Self Regional Healthcare, where she was a participant in the CARE program. “I chose Lander because of its strong nursing program, supportive faculty and the close-knit environment that allows students to truly connect and succeed.”
During her time at the University, Daniel said she “discovered that I am far more resilient than I ever realized as a freshman, and I have developed a strong ability to accept and apply feedback to continuously improve.”
A member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, Daniel was a peer tutor for critical care nursing, earned Dean’s List honors and was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. “These opportunities will positively impact my future nursing career by preparing me to collaborate effectively and take on leadership roles.”
A Call to Care
Through her studies, Alejandra Rubio Arteaga said Lander “helped me discover my passion for helping others through nursing. It confirmed that I am called to care for people not only with knowledge but with compassion and empathy.”
Her degree also represents the opportunity to create a special beginning for her family. A first-generation Mexican-American college student from West Columbia, Arteaga said, “I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude because this achievement is bigger than just me. I will be the first nurse in my family, which makes this moment especially meaningful and reminds me that I am helping create a new legacy for those who come after me.”
She said her parents’ courage and sacrifice provided her with opportunities they did not have. “Their decisions gave me the chance to pursue an education, dream bigger and build a future of service to others.”
That service begins with her job in the pediatric medical-surgical unit at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia. Her goal is to become a certified pediatric nurse and ultimately pursue a master’s degree in nursing and be a certified nurse educator. “With this, I want to be a clinical instructor to future generations of nursing students and be the inspiration my instructors here at Lander were to me.”
‘A Nurse Just Like My Mom’
Ty’Brea Aureana Johnson, of Abbeville, knew since childhood that she wanted to help people, and she discovered that nursing would allow her to fulfill that dream. She said that her mother’s nursing career also influenced her decision.
“Growing up, I watched my mother come home in her scrubs day after day,” said Johnson, who earned President’s List and Dean’s List honors as a student. “She was tired, but she still carried so much compassion for the people she cared for. I didn’t fully understand it at the time but I knew it mattered.”
“I saw the impact she made, and I saw the kind of strength it takes to do what she does,” she said. “Now, standing here today, I get to follow in her footsteps … and now, I can finally say the words, ‘I’m a nurse just like my mom.’”
Johnson enters the nursing profession as a medical-surgical nurse at Self Regional Healthcare. She hopes to return to college and become a nurse practitioner. “Lander has prepared me for these next steps by providing me with strong clinical experiences, a solid foundation in nursing knowledge and opportunities to grow professionally and personally,” she said. “Most importantly, Lander has given me the confidence to step into this next chapter not just as a graduate but as a nurse who is ready for whatever comes next.”
Nursing Achievement Recognized
The School of Nursing presented special honors to the following graduates:
Sigma Theta Tau inductees included Kaitlin Carlee Anderson, Emilee Celeste Black, Danielle Brooks, Alana Michelle Brown, Amaya Leanne Childers, Katiya Daniel, Jakiara Edwards, Janiyah Makenzy Geter, Caroline Hammond, Ty’Brea Johnson, Anna Carolyn Joyner, Skylyn Faith Moorrees, Julie Elizabeth Rose and Autumn Cierra Smoke.
Self Regional Healthcare recognized graduates who participated in the CARE Program, including Katiya Daniel, Holly Kneas Fairey and Matthew McNeil.