Congratulations Homestead Schools Graduates!

Graduations are wonderful occasions allowing us to celebrate hard work and give thanks to our parents, teachers, and co-students. It is a constant reminder that our life is made of different parts and stages.

The Graduating Class of 2009 Homestead Schools Vocational Nursing Batch 2 held its graduation ceremony last Saturday, January 24, 2009 at Doubletree Hotel in Torrance.  It was a day filled with mixed emotions - excitement, happiness, relief, and a little bit of sadness. The singing of the national anthem by Ellaine Manuel commenced the ceremony.  Mr. Vijay Fadia, founder and president of the school gave the welcoming address.

The highlights of the graduation rites were the candle lighting and pinning ceremony. The candle lighting symbolizes nursing education. It was named after Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp that represents energy and commitment to serve others. Ms. Felicitas Nicolas did the lamp ceremony representing the history of Florence Nightingale. The pinning ceremony was very touching and inspiring as it symbolized service to others, made more memorable because parents were chosen to perform the pinning while an audio/video presentation played showing the students thanking their loved ones for all the support they received.

Another highlight was the key speaker, Rhodora Sino-Cruz. She imparted words of wisdom to the students, "Don't wait for change, be the change. By obtaining a diploma, you are already welcoming a change in your life. Work hard and fulfill your duties as a nurse and financial rewards will follow. What you give to your work will be the measure of how indispensable you are."

Awards were also presented to those who had done exceptionally well in certain areas. Best in Attendance was Asia McCullen, Best in Academic Excellence were Maria Harrison and Delila Alay-ay, Best in Clinical Practice was Ellaine Manuel, and lastly the Leadership Award went to Francis Yumul.

Homestead Schools, Inc. was formed in 1991, an organization dedicated to meeting the educational needs of various professionals. They aim to make every student fully informed and up to date with the developments and breakthroughs in their chosen career. Homestead Schools has succeeded in serving the educational needs of multidisciplinary groups, populations with special needs, and public at large by undertaking a continual process of identifying target markets, assessing their needs and developing resources that accomplish their unique educational objectives.