VGCC recognizes 13 Medical Assisting students at Pinning


Seated, from left: graduating Medical Assisting students Gayla Lassiter, Brittany Daniels, Morgan Grissom, Kimberly Jackson, Ashley Pulliam-Scarberry and Sarahi Martinez Lara; standing, from left: program head Donna Gardner, students Christina Guy-McFarland, Henrry Rebollar-Miguel, Candace Bray, Ashley Day, Hillary Flanagan, Tiffany Finch, Sharon Greene and instructor Patrice Allen. (VGCC photo)

Seated, from left: graduating Medical Assisting students Gayla Lassiter, Brittany Daniels, Morgan Grissom, Kimberly Jackson, Ashley Pulliam-Scarberry and Sarahi Martinez Lara; standing, from left: program head Donna Gardner, students Christina Guy-McFarland, Henrry Rebollar-Miguel, Candace Bray, Ashley Day, Hillary Flanagan, Tiffany Finch, Sharon Greene and instructor Patrice Allen.
(VGCC photo)

Vance-Granville Community College held a pinning ceremony for its 2014 Medical Assisting program graduates on Aug. 8 at the college’s Franklin County Campus in Louisburg, where the program is conducted.

As VGCC’s program is nationally accredited, graduates are now eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants’ (AAMA) certification examination to become Certified Medical Assistants.

The 13 graduates being honored included Sharon Alease Greene of Castalia; Ashley Renee Pulliam Scarberry of Creedmoor; Candace Lane Bray and Henrry Rebollar-Miguel, both of Franklinton; Sarahi Margarita Martinez Lara of Henderson; Ashley Nicole Day and Tiffany Anne Finch, both of Louisburg; Morgan Tyler Grissom of Oxford; Kimberly Nicole Jackson of Raleigh; Brittany Edna-Morgan Daniels and Gayla King Lassiter, both of Stem; Hillary Elaine Flanagan of Wake Forest; and Christina Dolores Guy-McFarland of Youngsville.

Guy-McFarland was recognized for her service as president of the VGCC chapter of the Student Association of Medical Assistants, while Flanagan was honored for achieving the highest grade point average in the class.

Program head/instructor Donna Gardner served as the mistress of ceremonies. Franklin County Campus Dean Bobbie Jo May made welcoming remarks, congratulating the students and thanking their supportive families and friends who had gathered to celebrate the graduates’ success.

VGCC Dean of Health Sciences Angela Thomas was the keynote speaker. She commended the graduating students for their dedication and perseverance. Thomas said that the pinning ceremony marked “the beginning of a new chapter and an opportunity to explore broader horizons.”

Gardner presented each graduate with his or her pin, signifying that each had successfully completed the course of study and was prepared to enter the Medical Assisting profession, which is one of America’s fastest-growing careers. The students then recited the creed of the American Association of Medical Assistants.

Dr. Angela Ballentine, VGCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs, rounded out the ceremony with concluding remarks. “You have wisely chosen a profession in which you can make a difference in the lives of patients, and in which there is a variety of career opportunities,” Ballentine told the class. She encouraged all graduates to maintain high standards as professionals and to become lifelong learners.

With their one-year diplomas in hand, many graduates are continuing their education to complete the two-year associate degree in Medical Assisting. For more information about Medical Assisting, call the Franklin Campus at (919) 496-1567.