Diverse, driven, distinctly socially conscious, and from many different backgrounds, our accelerated 2nd degree and RN-to-BSN graduates add an extra dimension to IUSON and help us meet our mission of filling Indiana’s growing need for highly skilled BSN-prepared nurses.

New graduate Kevin Goode (chosen by his classmates to be their class spokesperson) beautifully summarized the journey that our December 2021 graduates had just completed and the challenges ahead. His remarks that day are worth repeating:

“Sixteen months ago,” he said, “a group of strangers – all aspiring nurses at the time – gathered in the hallways of Sycamore Hall, 6 feet apart, of course! At the time, you could have diagnosed all of us with hypertension, as we stood there waiting nervously for our first day of clinicals to begin.

“Now, we are gathered today, no longer strangers, poised to graduate and become nurses.  We have created great friendships with people we would have otherwise never met and have made memories that will be treasured for the rest of our lives. Today, armed with education, friends, and family, we make our dreams a reality. And every passing day is yet another opportunity.”

“And so, I challenge you to be happy with who you are today, but never stop dreaming of who you could be tomorrow. Go forth in life caring more than others believe reasonable, taking more risks than others believe is appropriate, dreaming bigger than others believe is realistic, and expecting more than others believe is achievable.”

“This is our day. ... We are now only one step away from having two very powerful and very meaningful letters behind our names: R.N. Congratulations, Class of 2021. We did it!”