Home News Northwestern College conducted Radiography Pinning Ceremony for graduates

Northwestern College conducted Radiography Pinning Ceremony for graduates

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[Bridgeview, IL] On Saturday, August 24, Northwestern College conducted a Radiography Pinning Ceremony for its most recent Radiologic Technology Program graduates. The College was pleased to report that eighteen (18) Radiologic Technology students graduated this August from the Program. The Pinning Ceremony formally recognizes their induction into the Radiologic Technology profession.

Radiologic Technology graduates
Northwestern College’s August 2019 Radiologic Technology graduates were pinned on Saturday, August 24. They are pictured here in their white coats with their Radiologic Technology faculty and college administrators.

The Radiography Pinning Ceremony was conducted in the auditorium of Northwestern College’s Bridgeview Campus. The Radiologic Technology graduates that were pinned by the Program’s Director, Catherine Guerrero, included Salima Azzouzi; Aneta Burkat; Colleen Costello; Cory Dean; Cali Fiandaca; Hailey Fitzgerald; Breann Garlic; Shannon Garlic; Madison Harper; Aisha Isa; Ghadeer Khalil; Kelly Levigne; Laureen Masek; Manisha Mayfield; Jamie Messina; Nancy Morin; and Chloe Siwa.

The August 2019 Radiologic Technology graduates were the third class to participate in this public pinning ceremony, marking the completion of their studies in Radiologic Technology (RT). Although this Northwestern College program yielded its first graduates in 2011, there had not been a pinning ceremony to mark the occasion until later students requested one.

The August pinning ceremony began with the graduates processing into the auditorium. Northwestern College’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Tonya Troka, welcomed all those gathered and presented some additional remarks.

Radiologic Technology graduate Ghadeer Khalil was selected to serve as the Student Speaker at the ceremony. She took the opportunity to express to her fellow graduates how she felt about them. “Despite every difficulty we faced, we took the time to support one another and help carry each other through each bump in the road to our journey of success, and we did it together, as one. Each of you will always hold a place in my heart as family.”

Ghadeer went on to praise each member of Northwestern College’s Radiologic Technology Program faculty individually, then as a whole. “Ms. Guerrero, Mr. Patel, and Mr. Gruenewald, you have not only been mentors, teachers, and instructors, rather you have treated us as if we were your own family,” she professed. “Each of you have gone above and beyond to make sure we succeeded. My hope is that we can make you all proud with the wisdom, morals and values you have set upon us not only in our careers but also in our everyday lives. For all that you have done for us, there isn’t enough gratitude in this world to thank you.”

During the pinning ceremony, Gary Gruenewald, Associate Professor & Clinical Coordinator, presented a recitation of the history of radiologic technology. As part of his speech, Gruenewald explained that even though Northwestern College’s Radiologic Technology Program only has an eleven-year history, the program actually has nearly 85 years of history, having been launched in 1935 as part of Chicago’s Ravenswood Hospital. Sixty-seven (67) years later, upon its closing in 2002, Ravenswood transferred the School to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Then in 2008, authority was granted to Northwestern College to assume the responsibility of educating and training highly qualified radiographers.

The Pinning Ceremony continued with the traditional Presentation of Pins to each individual student, with Radiologic Technology Program Director Guerrero doing the honors. The Director attached a specially designed pin to the lab coat of each graduate. Following the Presentation of Pins, the ceremony continued with each graduate presenting a rose to a particular person who had been instrumental in their educational journey. A farewell address by Director Guerrero followed, and the ceremony concluded with a pictorial presentation of the graduating class’s 2-year journey to graduation and their pinning ceremony. A reception hosted by the College was held immediately afterwards.

Students that successfully complete Northwestern College’s RT Program will have earned their Associate of Applied Science Degrees in Radiologic Technology. Each graduate can then sit for The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists exam (ARRT). Upon passage of this licensing examination, they will be registered technologists in radiography and will have earned the R.T.(R) credential.

During the course of her formal remarks, Radiologic Technology Program Director Catherin Guerrero explained to the graduates and their families that being a radiographer is not a “job,” but a “profession.” “You are an integral part of healthcare, one where diagnosis, early detection, and life-saving treatments are all made possible by the work you will be doing. You are on the front line of diagnosis, and quite often are the first person the patient interacts with” she said.

Director Guerrero also touched upon the mind-set of the Radiologic Technology faculty. “I believe our role as educators in Radiology is to fuse education and healthcare. By intertwining these two worlds, you will become the best technologists you can be. We have consistently instructed you to treat the whole patient. Hold their hand, offer a smile, make them comfortable, and reassure them they are safe. Remember, always treat your patients the way you would want to be treated.”

In her concluding remarks, Director Guerrero provided some final advice to the graduating radiologic technologists. “With every patient you touch, use your hands and your heart. Let empathy and professionalism be the fingerprint you leave behind.”

About Northwestern College:
Northwestern College (NC) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, 230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 263-0456, www.hlcommission.org. The college offers focused career-oriented associate degree and certificate programs with flexible schedules and a supportive faculty. Day, evening, weekend, online classes and online programs are available. More information can be found at www.NC.edu or by calling toll-free (888) 205-2283.

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