At the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing, every semester brings new moments of pride, progress and purpose. From welcoming families and new students to honoring achievements in leadership and scholarship, each season showcases the strength and spirit of our School of Nursing community.
Family Day Welcomes Students and Families
On August 15, 2025, the School of Nursing hosted its annual Family Day, welcoming more than 400 students and family members to campus. Guests toured the Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation (CALS) facility and connected with student organizations and campus services that support success, engagement and wellness.
The event underscored one of the school’s key wellness themes: belonging. By giving families an inside look at where students learn and grow, Family Day helped strengthen the circle of support surrounding each future nurse.
White Coat Ceremony: Honoring the Commitment to Care
The White Coat Ceremony, held on August 16, 2025, at the Lions Eye Center, marked a major milestone for Sophomore II students entering clinical nursing courses. The event celebrates nursing students’ transition from classroom learning to hands-on patient care, instilling a lasting commitment to compassionate and ethical practice.
Dean Demetrius Porche, DNS, PhD, ANEF, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, presided over the ceremony, offering words of welcome and reflection, followed by a keynote address from Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, Family and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at DePaul Community Health Center.
Students recited the White Coat Pledge, promising to uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism and patient advocacy. Each student was cloaked with their white coat, a symbol of trust and responsibility, and received a “Keeping Healthcare Human” pin from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, initiator of the first White Coat Ceremony in 1993.
The event also featured remarks from Katie Acuff, Esq., President and CEO of the LSU Health Foundation, and the Conferral of Coats led by Adele Harrell, PhD, MSN, RN, Program Director for the CARE BSN Program; Kristen Ramsey, DNP, MSN, NP, Program Director for the Traditional BSN Program; and Melissa Nunn, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC, CNE, NEA-BC, CNEcl, Assistant Dean for Student Services.
2025 White Coat Ceremony Recipients
- Tristan Adolph
- Shireen Atta
- Matthew Bagneris
- Bennett Barber
- Caleb Bertot
- Isaiah Black
- Cameron Brady
- Sara Britsch
- Lindsey Brooks
- Mycallei Brown
- Emily Broxson
- Grayson Burkhardt
- Ava Castillon
- Nadia Cohen
- Aniyah Cook
- Domonique Correll
- Coryn Cunningham
- Alyssa Dalmado
- Natalie Dietz
- Kha Dinh
- Cedriona Douglas
- Chibuikem Dunu
- Kristina Duong
- Layla Eaves
- Zameal Espinoza
- Julia Fender
- Grace Finnegan
- Kennedy Fryson
- Breonna Garrett
- Valeria Garza-Morales
- Sofia Genovesi
- Mi’kayla George
- Ja’Leah Gibson
- Corinne Harris
- Emily Hedrick
- Chloe Holliday
- Carsyn Jeansonne
- Bailee King
- Semaj’ King
- Carter Laborde
- Asia Lee
- Anna Leleux
- Jack Lewy
- Bre’Auana Logan
- Jasmine Mallery
- Amelia Mary
- Jasmin Maloy
- Sierra Mays
- Caroline Meginley
- Christa McPherson
- Calvin Mokaya
- Raquel Morales
- Dawson Moss
- Michael Moulton
- Kali Nguyen
- Leah Oddo
- Silvia Orellana
- Tessa Parker
- William Patel
- Phoebe Pham
- Laney Puinno
- Brady Ramon
- Sarah Recinos
- Lexie Rigney
- Jasmine Rojas
- Aline Roy
- Charles Sauerwin III
- Desiree Scott
- Keren Serrano
- TianTe Simmons
- Treasure Simmons
- Johanna Spooner
- Callie Straughan
- Mary Tat
- Desataya Tezeno
- Ally Theriot
- Jenny Tran
- Briley Trosclair
- Iliana Urbina
- Bailey VanAs
- Thanh-Quang Vo
- Bryanna Washington
- Mykhael Wilson
- Sydney Wilson
- Bailin Youngblood
Student Honors and Awards
School of Nursing students continue to excel at the local, state and national levels.
Stephen Douglass, a student in the Traditional BSN program, was awarded the AACN² Pathway to Critical Care Nursing Scholarship, a highly competitive national honor granted to only 15 nursing students nationwide.
In addition, several School of Nursing students were elected to serve in the Louisiana Association of Student Nurses (LASN) for 2025–2026:
- Spencer Protti – Region 4 Director
- Danielle McCartney – Treasurer
- Stephen Douglass – Vice President
- Marcela Pedron – Social Media & Communications Director
Baton Rouge Off-Campus Instructional Site Welcomes First Students
The School of Nursing’s Off-Campus Instructional Site (OCIS) in Baton Rouge welcomed its first cohort of 33 students in Fall 2025 for the Traditional BSN Program. The new site expands access to nursing education in the capital region and supports the state’s ongoing efforts to address Louisiana’s critical nursing shortage.
Like their New Orleans peers, Baton Rouge students receive the same rigorous curriculum, immersive clinical experiences and holistic wellness support that define our School of Nursing’s standard of excellence.
