Nursing Commencement

Hunt School of Nursing Fall Commencement Closes Out Texas Tech Health El Paso’s 10th Anniversary

Chalyse Piñon is not the typical nursing student.

At age 41, with four children age 9 to 16, she started her academic journey toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. On Saturday, Dec. 16, she and 72 classmates completed that journey by graduating from the Hunt School of Nursing. The commencement ceremony also included two students graduating from the master's in nursing program.

Saturday’s commencement also closed out Texas Tech Health El Paso’s 10-year anniversary. The majority of the 2023 fall nursing graduates are residents of our Borderplex region, with 64 hailing from El Paso. It was a fitting salute to the university’s mission of growing our own health care heroes.

As a first-generation college graduate and the first female in her family to pursue higher education, Piñon embraced the family motto, “Piñons can do hard things.” She turned it into a mantra during times of adversity.

“I’m grateful that my children can witness my journey. If mom can do it, so can they,” Piñon proudly said.

She isn’t just paving the way for future generations through personal triumph, she’s also inspiring her 14-year-old daughter, Sofia.

“Sofia has been my study companion since she was 11. It sparked her interest in the medical field,” Piñon beamed. Sofia, a freshman at Socorro High School, chosen to enroll in the school's Health Professions Academy. The HPA is tailored for students passionate about medicine, providing foundational knowledge and real-world experiences for various health care professions to prepare them for entry-level careers.

On Nov. 1, Piñon presented Sofia with a symbolic white coat and stethoscope at a ceremony at Socorro High, officially welcoming her into the medical field. The significance of this moment isn't lost on Piñon, who reflects on the profound joy of seeing her daughter taking steps toward a college degree and serving her community.

“It’s a surreal experience, watching her follow in my footsteps. I couldn't be prouder,” Piñon said.

In addition to being a proud graduate, Piñon is a recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in Training, presented to her for the compassion and empathy she showed during clinical rotations. The award is given by the DAISY Foundation, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at 33 of an autoimmune disease. To honor the nursing care Barnes received, his family established the foundation, which recognizes outstanding nurses, nursing faculty and nursing students.

Piñon would like to work in critical care and is planning the next steps for her future of serving our community.

At the commencement ceremony, Accelerated B.S.N. graduate Benny Garcia was named the recipient of the Kharisma James Legacy Scholarship for his leadership during his time at the Hunt School of Nursing.

The award honors James’ memory as a dedicated nurse and loving mother. A graduate of the Hunt School of Nursing, James was an operating room/surgery nurse at The Hospitals of Providence until her untimely death in 2018. She died while shielding three children from an oncoming car in an El Paso elementary school parking lot. James also was involved in several student organizations while attending the nursing school.

Stephanie L. Woods, Ph.D., R.N., gave this year’s keynote address. She is the Rick and Ginger Francis Endowed Dean of the Hunt School of Nursing and holds the Hunt Endowed Chair in Nursing.

Dr. Woods keynote speech centered on nurses being at the right place, at the right time with the right competency.

“You will walk into a patient’s room just before they fell or notice a subtle change in a child’s color prior to respiratory compromise,” she said.

She also noted how the right medical team, at the right time, with the right competency helped a Hunt School of Nursing alumnus not only survive a horrific car crash, but also defy expectations that he would be a quadriplegic.

One late night in October after his shift, Joshua Serrano was the passenger in a car that was rear-ended. His injuries were so severe that he was not expected to walk again. He underwent successful surgery that began an unknown road to recovery.

“Within a few days he took 10 steps. Who could have thought it possible?” Dr. Woods said. “Suddenly, there was reason for optimism. If he can walk, he can rehab. If he can rehab, he can come home. If he could come home, he could come to the fall 2023 graduation ceremony for the Hunt School of Nursing.”

Dr. Woods fought back tears as she introduced Josh to the audience. He stood up and the audience responded with a standing ovation.

“As a nurse you have the opportunity to give a patient another hour, another day, maybe even a lifetime,” Dr. Woods said. "If you ever doubt that you can make a difference, please remember how you felt when Josh stood.”

Since 2013, the Hunt School of Nursing has graduated 1,347 students, and a majority of those graduates stay in our Borderplex region to work. When nursing graduates remain in the area, life-changing economic success comes earlier and is a victory for nurses, their families and our local economy. Currently, 94% of students at the Hunt School of Nursing are El Paso natives.

The Hunt School of Nursing offers the only accelerated program in our region where students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 16 months. The rigorous program is a combination of classroom and hands-on learning using patient simulators and hospital settings. Through a unique partnership with local hospitals, students have clinical rotation opportunities and post-graduation job placement.

Through a curriculum focused on cross-disciplinary collaboration with hospitals, nursing students work in clinical teams alongside physicians and within the community. Because nearly 90% of nursing graduates stay to practice in the region, that concept of care continues to impact border populations. If proven effective for improved student and workforce outcomes, this focus could lead to a statewide model implemented to end the acute challenges of the nursing shortage.

About Texas Tech Health El Paso

Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.

Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.

With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org