Winter 2025 UND Undergraduate Nursing Pinning Ceremony
Friday, December 19, 2025 | 4 PM
Memorial Union Ballroom, Grand Forks, ND
Program
Processional
Reading of the UND Land Acknowledgement Statement
Chantel Vazquez, BSN, RN, RAIN Nurse Mentor
Master of Ceremonies
Tracy Bergum, BSEd, Assistant Director, Office of Student Services
Welcome
Maridee Shogren, DNP, CNM, CLC, Dean, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines
Keynote Address
Mallory Kostelecky, BSN, RN, Travel ER Nurse, Medical Service Officer
Presentation of the Pins
Maridee Shogren
Pinning Announcer: Caroline Bodine, Semester 3 Nursing Student, Nursing Student Council President
Closing Remarks
Stephanie Christian, PhD, RN, Clinical Associate Professor, Undergraduate Nursing Chair
The History of the Pin
The first nursing class graduated from the “Division of Nursing” at UND in 1951. A core group of seven of the nine graduates designed the College of Nursing pin.
The pin is gold with a green Maltese Cross. Green was selected to correspond with the university colors of green and white. The cross was the badge of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a religious order, whose primary work was the care of the sick.
The group moved to Malta in the late 1500s, where they were commonly known as the Knights of Malta. Their badge was known as the Maltese Cross, which now symbolizes nursing, health, and caring, a fitting symbol for the graduates of the Department of Nursing to wear. The Maltese Cross was initially surrounded by the words “School of Nursing.”
Changes to the pin through UND’s history
In the summer of 1959, the words on the pin were changed to “College of Nursing” when the Division of Nursing was designated a College.
In November of 2012, the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education approved a name change from the College of Nursing to the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines. This was done to recognize Social Work and Nutrition and Dietetics as departments belonging to the College.
In the spring of 2014, the words on the Maltese Cross were changed to UND Nursing to recognize Nursing as a department within the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Graduates
Reece Anderson
Hannah Balzum
Arwyn Berke
Nadia Chwialkowski
Kaitlyn Cray
Tristan Dauner
Anna Doherty
Uchechukwu Eyimegwu
Lauren Feld
Alexandra Feldner
Jerred Fergel
Isabelle Fournier
Jenna Fowler
Tanner Gates
Isaac Hallberg
Emma Hatch
David Hayes
Natalie Hoyt
Alissa Hushagen
Brooke Keller
Mya Krogstad
Isabelle Labine
Spencer Lade
Parker Larson
Riley Lembke
Lauren Lundquist
Riley Martin
Lake Mastro
Sloan Merschman
Michaela Nelson-Salander
Taryn Noehre
Lindsey Olson
Tanna Peterson
Sam Roy
Emily Sargeant
Karissa Schmeets
Emme Schmidt
Kristen Schwengler
Averie Simon
Sydney St. Germain
Madeleine Stefonowicz
Hannah Steimer
Maya Steinkopf
Madison Stroh
Hailey Thiessen
Miranda Vanderwal
Brooklyn Vogel
Kendra Warnke
Addison Watson
McKenzie Watson
Skylar Wheeler
Ellie Wilcox
Grace Wood
Katie Young
Comments
I am so proud to be grandma(Nanny) to Hannah Steimer. She has worked so hard to accomplish this very important education. I have no doubt, with the Lord’s help, she will continue to be as loving and caring as she has always been. She will be an asset to any hospital or clinic and to every patient she cares for. WAY TO GO HANNAH!!
So proud to be Grandpa to Kristen Schwengler. She can walk into a room of sick patients with her big wonderful smile and have the entire room feeling better and smiling within minutes. Love and respect her so much.
So happy to congratulate my granddaughter,
Averie on this special occasion. Wish I could be there!
We are all so blessed & grateful for our beautiful-compassionate-determined,
Dear Anna Doherty! She bares a huge kind & thoughtful heart—All perfect for the profession she has chosen!
I am a very proud Grma Sue—
Many Hugs!
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