It was a celebration so large that South Dakota State University’s College of Nursing had to find a new, bigger venue. The fall 2025 Rapid City pinning and hooding ceremony needed more space to accommodate the entire nursing cohort and family and friends.
The Dec. 15 event at The Monument recognized the achievements of nearly 100 graduates. It’s the largest such ceremony in western South Dakota.
Then, the college held an induction ceremony on Jan. 29 for more than 100 new BSN students at the Rapid City site.
Both signal rapid growth for the university’s West River nursing program.
A cause for celebration
Christina Plemmons, the college’s assistant academic dean for cooperative programs in Rapid City, attended the December pinning and hooding ceremony. “This ceremony recognizes the students’ accomplishments and welcomes them into the nursing profession,” she said.
After the tests and clinicals are done and before they receive an official diploma, South Dakota State University nursing graduates receive a pin.
The pin is meant to be worn proudly on a coat or pair of scrubs. It’s a rite of passage; it’s a tradition. It’s a reason to gather and celebrate.
The ceremony uplifts both in-person and online students. Master’s and doctoral nursing students often do all their coursework online, which makes the graduate hooding part of the ceremony especially meaningful. They can attend and celebrate their achievement at the site that’s closest to where they live.
“It’s a chance for graduates to be celebrated and to celebrate with family, friends and future employers in their community,” Plemmons said. “This recognizes the accomplishment of the student and those who have supported them along the way.”
The final or near-final step on their journey
Knowing that some West River graduates won’t be able to make the trip to Brookings in May for commencement, the college incorporates what it can to make the pinning and hooding ceremony particularly special for them. Graduates wear their cap and gown, the stage party is in full regalia, and SDSU’s graduation song rings out in the venue.
College of Nursing Dean Mary Anne Krogh kicks off the ceremony by sharing her vision for the future of the graduates. While they walk across the stage to receive their hood or pin, a member of the stage party reads personal messages of gratitude written by each student. The graduate also receives an SDSU-yellow rose and a handshake from the dean.
“Students are excited to have their family and friends in attendance, especially family members who are nurses themselves, since then the student is carrying on a legacy of nursing in their family,” Plemmons said.
The family in attendance may include grandparents down to children. Plemmons said many graduates are parents and look forward to having their children see their accomplishment.
“After the ceremony, there’s more celebration,” she said. “Everyone’s in very high spirits. The students have lots of enthusiasm and excitement for embarking on their careers.”
Addressing the nursing shortage
These graduates are entering a profession that needs them. The nation is going through a nursing shortage, which is impacting South Dakota.
“There’s been a call across the nursing profession to expand programs to meet the needs of the nation, state and for us in Rapid City,” Plemmons said.
The college expanded its accelerated nursing program to Rapid City in 2021. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in as little as 12 months.
There’s also been an emphasis on empowering future nurses to learn in the way that works best for them. For rural students with farming and ranching responsibilities, SDSU’s nursing program offers online learning and targets clinical placements in or near their home community.
“The College of Nursing is always looking to create programming that meets the needs of anyone who wants to be a nurse. That helps ensure there are nurses to meet the needs of the people of South Dakota,” Plemmons said.
Every new nurse has a job waiting for them after graduation. Many students have already accepted a job offer before the pinning and hooding ceremony.
Welcome to the program
A month and a half later, the focus shifted to the next generation of new nurses at the induction ceremony. When students enter the nursing program, there’s equal pomp and circumstance.
“We have a ceremony for BSN students to receive a blue coat with their blue scrubs,” Plemmons said.
Dean Krogh also speaks at this event in Brookings and Rapid City, meaning she’ll bookend the students’ nursing education careers when they make it to the pinning and hooding ceremony at the end of their studies.
The induction ceremony welcomed 103 West River nurses into the program this January, mirroring the nearly 100 nurses who received their pins or hoods during the December event.
Plemmons says those numbers are good news for South Dakota.
“By and large, these nurses are planning on impacting health care in some significant ways. And we have humble students, so I think it’s important to lift them up by literally inviting them up on stage, so they have their time in front of family and friends.”
