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Featured photo: Four of the medical assistant completers, Brandice L. Ladas, Khileigh Burleson, Tracey W. Byerly, and Amber W. Ho, after the pinning ceremony. Photo by Rich Keen.
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On May 28, 2026, Blue Ridge Community College celebrated 34 Allied Health program completers at a pinning ceremony in the Blue Ridge Conference Hall on the Henderson County Campus. The credentials earned will enable those honored to pursue high-demand roles within the local healthcare workforce.
Blue Ridge Community College President Dr. Laura B. Leatherwood welcomed the graduates and attendees before Director of Allied Health Kimberli Clark provided opening remarks and an overview of the Allied Health program.
“Graduates, tonight’s pinning ceremony symbolizes far more than the completion of a program. It represents your commitment to excellence, service, and compassionate care,” Leatherwood said. “As you receive your pins and recite your professional creeds, know that we are immensely proud of all you have accomplished. We look forward to the impact you will make in the lives of others and throughout our communities.”
The ceremony continued with an acknowledgement of faculty by Dean of Health Sciences Leigh Angel, and a presentation of awards by Instructor Michele Poarch. Instructor Hunter Grant gave an introduction of programs and students. Instructors Poarch, Tamara Watkins, and Deborah Barwick pinned the graduates, which was the highlight of the ceremony. Grant led the reading of the Medical Assisting Creed, and Poarch led the reading of the Phlebotomy Creed and provided closing remarks.
Leatherwood also extended gratitude to community partners for their continued support and dedication to student success, including AdventHealth Hendersonville, Mountain Area Health Education Center, UNC Health Pardee, and Western North Carolina Community Health Services.
“At Blue Ridge, we are proud to prepare graduates who strengthen healthcare across our region,” Leatherwood said. “We are especially grateful to our community partners whose support and clinical training opportunities help shape the next generation of healthcare professionals.”
The following students received pins at the May 28 ceremony:
Advent Medical Assisting
Aaramika Anita Childs
Taylor Cartwright
Brandi Costelloe
Leia Grassie
Joshua Mitchell Harper
Cecilia Justus
Anne-Sarah Lambert
Adarely Medina Flores
Haley Summers
Lindsey Wilson
WNCHS Medical Assisting
Mia Logan
MAHEC Medical Assisting
Peighton Bartell
Elizabeth Hudson
Hallie Jones
Samantha Lunsford
Vanessa Rico Rodriguez
Rebecca Elizabeth Williams
Medical Assisting
Khileigh Burleson
Tracey Whitaker Byerly
Kimberely Hill
Vanessa Parks Howard
Brandice Lynn Ladas
Gisel Nuno-Gomez
Yasmin Nuno-Gomez
Sydney Reardon
Esperanza Ramires
Amber Walters Ho
Phlebotomy
Shunneisha Allen
Nina Calderazzo
Karmyn Elizabeth Deck
Joana Moreno-Rodriguez
Kimberly Renee Owen
Cassandra Perez-Bernabe
Esperanza Ramires
Allied Health includes the diverse healthcare professions that support patient care through diagnostic, therapeutic, technical, and rehabilitative services. Information about healthcare programs at Blue Ridge Community College is online at www.blueridge.edu/healthcare.
The College is currently enrolling for the fall semester which begins August 17. Scholarships and financial aid are available, including the Next NC Scholarship, which can fully cover tuition costs for eligible students. Students can begin their applications at www.blueridge.edu/admissions.