ALBANY, GA – The Albany Technical College (ATC) Nursing Program will hold a spring 2021 “Park & Pin” ceremony on Wednesday, May 5, beginning at 4:00 p.m., in the rear parking lot behind the Nathaniel Cross Building on the campus of ATC. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the graduates will be in assigned seating, socially distanced, and their loved ones will park in vehicles behind them. Each graduate will come forth when their name is called and be pinned allowing their family to view/enjoy/participate in the moment as well. The graduates will then take the nursing pledge from their assigned seating.
Ten Albany Technical College students will participate in the ceremony. Pinning candidates include:
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“This observance is a milestone for these graduates. Completing the necessary clinical hours and graduating with an Associate of Science in Nursing is a great accomplishment. There is a need in the healthcare community for qualified nurses, so this is important, and we applaud their success,” said Anthony Parker, President of Albany Technical College.
The guest speaker for the ceremony is Dr. Latrona Lanier, Associate of Science in Nursing Director at
Albany Technical College. Dr. Latrona Lanier began her nursing career at Darton State College where she obtained her A.S.N. Studying nursing education at Albany State University, she obtained her B.S.N. and M.S.N/Ed. where she graduated with honors, Summa Cum Laude. She completed her Ph.D. in Nursing in 2013 at Georgia State University. In 2018, she became a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE). Throughout her nearly 20 year tenure as a nurse educator, she has taught undergraduate and graduate students. She has published several articles. Even more, she developed the Gender Ratio Imbalance Beliefs and Behaviors Scale (GRIBBS) research tool which is currently utilized nationally by nurse researchers.
Dr. Lanier is the Program Director for the Associate of Science in Nursing program at Albany Technical College. Since her tenure as Program Director, the program has earned many accolades. In 2017, the program was ranked #1 in the state; in 2018, the program was ranked #3 in the state; in 2019, the program was ranked #7 in the state; in 2020, the program was voted as one of the best nursing programs to attend. Even more and perhaps more importantly, in 2016 the program received its initial accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Dr. Lanier builds upon understanding and passing on the nursing knowledge she has been blessed to achieve. She takes every opportunity to design and develop engaging instruction in support of teaching in the classroom, clinical, and e-learning environments. Ultimately, her role helps nursing students understand and make meaning of what it is to be learned through the creation of relevant, engaging, and interactive content. Her motto is, “Understand the how and the why.”
Born child number 8 out of a family of 10, Dr. Lanier was raised by a single parent. It was in this home environment where she learned from her mother the significance of caring, sacrifice, and giving to others. She is a wife, mother of four, and grandmother of seven. She is the Mother of her church and will be quick to share her LOVE for God, family, and nursing to all she meets.
If there is inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Logistics Education Center (LEC) Auditorium on the Campus of Albany Technical College.