The Aiken Technical College School of Health Sciences held the pinning ceremony for its Summer 2023 graduates Friday morning.
The processional honored students from the medical assisting, medical coding, surgical technology and expanded duty dental assisting programs. Alongside awards, graduates received pins from their corresponding program directors and instructors, signifying their commitment to their respective healthcare fields.
“Your journey has been one of growth, learning and resonance, and it is with great pride that we commend you for reaching this significant milestone,” said college President Dr. Forest Mahan in his keynote speech.
In his address, Mahan spoke to the graduates of each program, highlighting the importance each career path has in healthcare. The dental assistants he called the “unsung heroes who provide essential support to dentists and patients alike.” The medical assistants, he said, are the “linchpin that keeps the system running smoothly” using “multifaceted skills.”
Likewise, he deemed the honorees in medical coding “meticulous architects of organized and accurate healthcare reference,” and those in Surgical Technology the “silent guardians of precision and efficiency.”
The school presented pins to more than 50 graduates across the four programs, the majority being in medical coding.
Mary Elizabeth Ball, a graduate of the one-year medical assisting program, calls the pin her “I did it!” — a visible, tangible representation of all the work that went into completing it.
“It’s many, many nights studying, it’s getting over a lot of nerves because you’re very involved with your classmates, it’s completely hands on… there’s a lot that goes into it,” Ball said. “Now it’s time to celebrate; we did it, we finished and now’s the next chapter.”
Ball was one of two valedictorians in the medical assisting class of 2023, the other being Westley Rowan. The program also honored two salutatorians, Brittany Lynne Center and Sarah Mays.
Expanded Dental Assisting Program Director Angela Odom offered a special award, dental assistant of the year, to student Macy Icenhour, who completed the dental assisting program one year after graduating high school.
“She had a coffee cup every day and a smile on her face,” Odom said. “She’s a true example of that determination.”
Brian Logan, dean of the School of Health Sciences, noted a shift in focus by many prospective students from university education to the kinds of particularized vocational training offered at institutions like Aiken Tech, especially amid financial concerns such as student debt.
“We’re attracting a wide variety of students. We’re seeing more students that are coming here as an alternative to going to a four-year school,” Logan said. “Students that we would consider like, higher achieving, academic-wise.”
The dean observes that, alongside an uptick of younger learners out of high school, like Icenhour, more older students are applying to healthcare programs. Applicants to Aiken Tech who are older than traditional college ages aren’t unusual, notes Logan, but the school is especially accommodating to those who already have families, jobs and schedules who are looking to cultivate skills for new work.
“Most of our students aren’t typical 18, 19, 20-year-old university or college students,” he said. “We’re providing a service to the community, and that’s really what it’s all about; helping these students be successful.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
