ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Graduates of the 2025 Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) program received their pins at College of The Albemarle’s (COA) annual pinning ceremony on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in the Performing Arts Center at COA – Elizabeth City. This year, we celebrated 25 graduates who completed over 800 clinical training hours and 528 classroom and lab hours.
Top (1st row, l-r): Savanna Brigman, Esquana Brown, Payton Brown, Kennedy Caffrey, Valeriia Danyliuk, Reagan Davis, Rebecca Dileo, (2nd row, l-r): Jacqueline Fleming, Cassie Gavoni, Kayla Heilig, Kasey Jung, Colin Kelly, Danielle Kimball (3rd row, l-r): Emily Kouba, Julie Lithgow, Naia Mitchell, Kali Murray, Virginia Reconnu, Whitney Reeser-Harris, Bottom (4th row, l-r): Victoria Rosenberger,Laura Sawyer, Chelsea Smith, Julia Vallas, Katrina Wall, Sarah Wisniewski
The pinning ceremony included the presentation of pins, the lighting of the Nightingale Lamps and the reciting of the International Council of Nurses’ Pledge.
During the ceremony, several A.D.N. students received esteemed recognition, awards, and scholarships, acknowledging their academic excellence and perseverance.
Savanna Brigman received the Academic Excellence and Academic Recognition Award. The Academic Excellence Award is presented to the student with the highest grade point average (GPA) during the A.D.N. program, and the Academic Recognition Award is given to students who maintain a 3.5 GPA during their studies at COA.
Jacqueline Fleming received the Dr. L. Everett Sawyer Award. This award is presented to students who display outstanding abilities in all facets of nursing. It was established in 1984 in memory of Dr. Sawyer, a loyal and generous friend of COA’s A.D.N. Program. Recipients are selected by the A.D.N. faculty each year.
The Dr. Zack D. Owens and Martha Anderson Owens Nursing Endowment Scholarship was given to Savanna Brigman, Kennedy Caffrey, Valeriia Danyliuk, Jacqueline Fleming, Cassie Gavoni, Kasey Jung, Danielle Kimball, Julie Lithgow, Kali Murray, Whitney Reeser-Harris, and Sarah Wisniewski. Scholarships are presented to selected full-time nursing students who maintain a 2.5 GPA. Dr. Zack D. Owens, a surgeon in Elizabeth City, and his wife, Martha Anderson Owens, a registered nurse, formed a highly skilled medical team at Albemarle Hospital. In 1983, Dr. Owens established the endowment to provide scholarship opportunities for nursing students.
“Each of these graduates has shown extraordinary compassion and dedication to the nursing profession,” said Katie Miller, COA Associate Degree Nursing Department Chair and Associate Professor. “They’ve grown into skilled nurses ready to make a difference in the lives of patients and families across our region. We celebrate their success and the positive impact they will have in healthcare throughout our communities and beyond.”
Congratulations to the COA Associate Degree Nursing Class of 2025:
Savanna Brigman, Camden County
Esquana Brown, Pasquotank County
Payton Brown, Currituck County
Kennedy Caffrey, Dare County
Valeriia Danyliuk, Dare County
Reagan Davis, Chowan County
Rebecca Dileo, Currituck County
Jacqueline Fleming, Camden County
Cassie Gavoni, Pasquotank County
Kayla Heilig, Dare County
Kasey Jung, Dare County
Colin Kelly, Dare County
Danielle Kimball, Dare County
Emily Kouba, Chesapeake, Virginia
Julie Lithgow, Currituck County
Naia Mitchell, Camden County
Kali Murray, Perquimans County
Virginia Reconnu, Dare County
Whitney Reeser-Harris, Pasquotank County
Victoria Rosenberger, Pasquotank County
Laura Sawyer, Perquimans County
Chelsea Smith, Camden County
Julia Vallas, Pasquotank County
Katrina Wall, Perquimans County
Sarah Wisniewski, Camden County
For COA’s Associate Degree Nursing program information, visit www.albemarle.edu/adn or contact Kathryn Miller at [email protected] or 252-335-0821, ext. 2280.
For all other COA-related information or media inquiries, contact Tammy W. Sawyer, COA Director of Communications and Marketing, at [email protected] or 252-335-0821, ext. 2420.