Triton College Welcomes Future Nurses at Summer Orientations

RIVER GROVE, Ill. – Triton College’s biannual nurse pinning ceremony is always the culmination of all of these hopes and dreams and tears and laughter and a family that had developed, according to Nursing Chairperson Laurel Thomas.

This summer, Triton College is hosting a virtual information session July 16 at 6 p.m. to welcome the next classes of nursing candidates into its family.

Sessions are intended for students who plan to enroll in the LPN to RN or Nursing programs in the fall 2027 or spring 2027 semesters. Learn more and register at triton.edu/nursing.

Thomas, whose own associate degree in nursing began a fulfilling 30-year career, understands the value of a community college education.

“The reason I'm here at Triton is I want to give back,” she said. “I want to give back to nursing, and specifically, the way to do that is to give back to as many students as I can that are going to be able to walk across that bridge.”

For Thomas, practicing empathy and compassion is as vital for nurses as learning excellent physical assessment skills.

From donating bears to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and clothes to Maryville Academy to packing meals at Feed My Starving Children, the class of May 2026 gave back.

“The students see the care and compassion, and they want to take it out to others,” said Thomas. “I always tell them, go fly. Go find something that you think is going to be great.”

Triton faculty and staff will be there at each step to support students and ended the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) requirement to remove a potential barrier to nursing candidates who are otherwise qualified.

Potential students are encouraged to look at upcoming deadlines and reach out any time they don’t understand something, added Thomas.

Student Nurses Association President Pam Vesecky described Thomas as someone who “absolutely gets in the nitty gritty with you and tells you, ‘Don't worry about it. We're going to figure it out together.’”

Both Thomas and other nursing faculty maintain an open-door policy toward students, and some even give students their personal cellphone numbers.

As students continue learning at Triton College, Thomas encourages them to also learn through early work experience in the field, such as applying for nursing technician positions.

Learning by doing, together, is deeply connected to nursing history. Thomas said she frequently reminds students that Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing whose pledge students recite at each pinning ceremony, did so herself.

“This 16-year-old didn’t know what she was getting into, but she still went,” Thomas said of Nightingale. “That is what nursing does. We walk into the fire, and we do that with the community.”

Nursing has a proud tradition, but Triton students are also encouraged to make their education truly their own.

Vesecky said the class of May 2026 wrote and recorded their class speech together, a first for Triton’s program. Spoken in multiple languages, Vesecky said the speech was a way for each student to honor their family’s cultural heritage while showing the class's cohesion.

Students also planned Triton’s first Scrubs to Success Fair, welcoming universities and employers to campus while highlighting Triton support resources like the Transfer Center and the Troy Cares Collective.

“In that moment, it felt like we were here for a reason," said Vesecky, who added that Triton faculty and administration, including Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Susan M. Campos, encouraged their initiative.

Attending a summer information session places students on a path to a rewarding career; one that Thomas said she’s never regretted choosing for herself.

“I don't see that there's anything better that I could be doing, honestly, with my life, or that they could be doing with theirs,” said Thomas.

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Media Contact:

Melissa Ramirez Cooper | melissacooper@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3496

Rachel K. Hindery | rachelhindery@triton.edu

ABOUT TRITON COLLEGE
Triton College is a public institution of higher education dedicated to student success. Recently recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the Top 200 community colleges in the nation, Triton offers more than 130 degree and certificate programs that prepare students to pursue meaningful careers, transfer to four-year universities, and thrive in a global economy. Guided by our mission—Valuing the individual, educating and serving the community—Triton serves nearly 17,000 students annually on its 110-acre campus in River Grove, Illinois. Our dedicated faculty and staff provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities that empower students and strengthen the communities we serve. Triton College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of The Illinois Community College Board. Illinois is home to 45 colleges in 39 community college districts. Learn more at triton.edu.