The College of Nursing had a great evening on Friday, September 13th with the homecoming parade and a family weekend event for pre-nursing, undergraduate nursing, and graduate-level nursing students and their families. The Office of Advancement with Shelley Grider, Connie Mitchell, and Nicole Lynch planned the event during Auburn University’s Parents Weekend. “We wanted to do something fun for our nursing students to be able to bring their families to show off the College of Nursing and where they spend time for classes and studying!” said Nicole Lynch, who oversees alumni engagement for the College of Nursing. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the College of Nursing building and explore the skills lab with Seth Perry. Faculty members Dr. Ann Lambert, Claire Thompson, and Kathy McAdory along with student ambassadors volunteered to help make the event enjoyable and informative.
Roby Simmons, a 1982 graduate, participated in the Homecoming parade along with her husband, Bernis Simmons. They were joined by the ambassadors, Karla Guerra and Rayney Norment, who walked with them.
Assistant Clinical Professor Claire Thompson said she enjoyed welcoming students and their family and friends for the event. “It was a truly heartwarming experience! My favorite part was seeing students take pride in their school — the beautiful building, lab spaces, introducing faculty and staff, and sharing that joy with their families. It was a powerful reminder of the community that we have built at AUCON. As a faculty member and an AUCON alumna, it meant a lot to me that they were so excited and proud to show off their college!
“These homecoming events help our current students, families, and alumni to feel connected to the AUCON family in a special way. My advice for our first-time attendees about homecoming is to make it a tradition to strengthen those bonds and keep the spirit of the program alive, to be proud of this program and nursing education from AUCON,” Thompson added.
A nursing student in the RN-BSN program, Ethan Lindsey, mentions the wonderful experience he had at the family weekend event, with the staff and nursing students welcoming him and his friends. His favorite part was meeting Professor McAdory, who taught him the previous semester. “Meeting professors like Ms. McAdory (who took the time to talk to my grandmother) and sharing the special day with my grandmother was incredibly special,” Lindsey said. “It was great to see how supportive the Auburn nursing community is.”
“The Auburn Nursing program is phenomenal. The homecoming event allowed me to tour the building and converse with my Auburn family. The simulation lab was fascinating too. Auburn Nursing really does have a special way of bringing everyone together! I cannot think of another nursing program where I would want to get my bachelor's in nursing. Auburn Nursing Rocks! War Eagle!”
Photographs:
Top Left Photo: Karla Guerra, Bernis Simmons, Roby Simmons, & Rayney Norment
Top Right Photo: Karla Guerra & Rayney Norment
Bottom Left Photo: a nursing student with their family
Bottom Right Photo: Nicole Lynch & Claire Thompson
