(Fort Wayne, IN – January 27, 2010)  Brown Mackie College – Fort Wayne will hold a Pinning Ceremony, recognizing recent graduates of the Medical Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Practical Nursing, and  Surgical Technology  programs at on Friday, January 29, from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the school located at 3000 East Coliseum Boulevard, Ste. 100.

During the ceremony, Dawn McGuire, a member of the Indiana State Assembly of the Association Of Surgical Technologists (AST), will present Gail Gorman, an October 2009 Brown Mackie College – Fort Wayne, Surgical Technology program graduate, with the National AST Honor Society award, “Shining Star of Indiana.” The award is given to an AST member student who maintains a 3.75 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale.  The student must also project qualities of integrity and leadership in academic and extracurricular activities. Gail was informed of the award prior to her October 2009 graduation.

McGuire will also present Gorman with the National AST Honors Society Award for outstanding academic achievement, and first- ever AST Student Achievement Award at the pinning ceremony.  McGuire pointed to Gorman’s attainment of a perfect 1000 points out of 1000 possible points during her externship, a primary contributing factor in earning the award, the only student in state history to do so.  Brown Mackie College – Ft. Wayne President, Jim Bishop said, “Everyone at Brown Mackie College – Fort Wayne are very proud of Gail and her accomplishment. It is a testament to her hard work and dedication as a student. We look forward to her future continued contributions to the healthcare community. “

The school adopted the Pinning Ceremony process as a vehicle to recognize all Allied Health program students. The ceremony is a time-honored nursing school tradition, dating back before the turn of the twentieth century. The ceremony marks the passage from a student role to practicing role. Traditionally, students are pinned by someone in the profession, but more recently, students choose to have someone that is meaningful in their lives assume the role. It is a joyous event that many students enjoy sharing with their family and friends. 

“The Pinning Ceremony is an excellent opportunity to share the hard work and academic achievements of our students with friends, family, and the community,” says Melissa Carmona, Dean of Academic Affairs for Brown Mackie College – Fort Wayne. “As in the case of many schools who work with a diverse population, finding opportunities to recognize students is very difficult due to work, family and school obligations.”

For additional information about the Pinning Ceremony, contact Tony Davis or Melissa Carmona at (260) 481-5029. For additional Information visit http://www.brownmackie.edu/pr.aspx?ID=bmc1009.

Brown Mackie College – Fort Wayne is one of 24 school locations of the Brown Mackie College system of schools (www.brownmackie.edu), which is dedicated to providing educational programs that prepare students for entry-level positions in a competitive, rapidly-changing workplace. Brown Mackie College schools offer bachelor's degree, associate’s degree, certificate, and diploma programs in health sciences, business, information technology, legal studies and design technologies. IN Advertising Code: AC-0109