PEARL – Dallin Adams, 20, of Flowood was among more than 1,300 students who graduated from Hinds Community College in one of four ceremonies on May 13 and May 15.

Adams received an Associate Degree Nursing in one of three graduation ceremonies at Hinds Community College on May 13.

“It was a challenge,” Adams said of the program. “All the hard work paid off. There were days we were really stressed. Looking back, everything has paid off. I feel really prepared.”

His next step will be to enroll in a Bachelor of Science for Nursing program.

Hinds Community College held three graduation ceremonies on Thursday, May 13 at the Rankin Campus and a fourth ceremony on Saturday, May 15 at the Utica Campus. All four ceremonies were for graduates only. Family and friends were able to view the ceremonies via livestreaming.

“Commencement is a proud occasion for the Hinds Community College family. Every graduation ceremony is special at the college as we celebrate the success of each student,” said Hinds President Dr. Stephen Vacik. “It’s important that we truly celebrate what you have accomplished, what you have achieved and what you’re going to achieve. You have made it through a series of unusual circumstances to get to this point and you are to be commended.”

Nearly 1,000 students participated in one of the four ceremonies, including students eligible to participate in previous ceremonies cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, Hinds conferred 1,761 degrees or certificates, with some students receiving more than one credential.

Out of those, 300 graduated cum laude with a grade point average of 3.2 to 3.59; 240 graduated magna cum laude with a grade point average of 3.6 to 3.99 and 111 graduated summa cum laude with a grade point average of 4.0.

This year, for the first time, graduating students were tapped as speakers, including for the invocation.

Speaking for the nursing and allied health graduates was Annelise Ouellette, of Clinton, who earned an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing this semester. A graduate of Clinton High School, Ouellette began her studies in Associate Degree Nursing in January 2019 at the Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center.

“I think most everyone in my class would agree that nursing school is undoubtedly one of the most grueling things we have gone through. I always told myself, ‘if it was easy, everyone would do it.’ Some days, that phrase helped me, other days, it made me wonder what I had gotten myself into,” she said.

Ouellette said that she and classmates sometimes were frustrated when instructors turned questions back on them instead of giving direct answers.

“I realize that our teachers were training our brains to dig deeper and connect the dots. It taught us independence, and to not rely on someone else’s knowledge to carry us through. I can finally see that those once-frustrating responses were able to transform a once fearful first semester nursing student into a valuable, respected, self-sufficient nurse ready to dive into the real world,” Ouellette said.