Taylor Kight from Moultrie, Summer Landeros from Ashburn, and Shelby Stacey from Valdosta received the three top awards presented by the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College at the recent fall semester pinning ceremony.

Kight received the Carillon Award, which goes to the student with the highest-grade point average among the graduates.  Named for the carillon bells in the ABAC Chapel of All Faiths, located adjacent to the Health Sciences building, the award is sponsored by Colquitt Regional Medical Center.

Landeros received the Clinical Excellence Award, which recognizes a student who demonstrated excellence in evidence-based clinical practice and patient-centered care.  The award is sponsored by Southwell Tift Regional Health Systems.

“This award further exemplifies a student who creatively combined the caring and curing of nursing science by restoring patients back to dynamic equilibrium in clinical settings,” Dr. Jaibun Earp, Dean of the ABAC School of Nursing and Health Sciences, said.

Stacey received the Dedication to Nursing Award, which is sponsored by South Georgia Medical Center. 

Sarah Shaw Young from Nicholls at the associate degree level and Jana Fussell from Douglas at the bachelor’s degree level received recognition at the ceremony as the Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing scholarship award recipients.   

These awards honor the memory of Lisa Purvis Allison who began the nursing program at ABAC as a single parent of two children following the accidental death of her husband.  Despite being diagnosed with colon cancer during her final year in the nursing program, Allison completed her degree, passed her state board exam, and became a Registered Nurse.  She passed away soon after accomplishing her goal.  A scholarship fund in her honor was developed to assist students in fulfilling their dreams of becoming nurses. 

A total of 49 students received associate degree pins, and 11 students received bachelor’s degree pins at the ceremony.  The keynote speaker for the event was ABAC President David Bridges.