PEARL – On a day of celebration for Hinds Community College nursing and allied health graduates, student speaker N’Kyah Kendrick instead remembered a former classmate who didn’t walk the stage Wednesday.
Kendrick, who received an Associate Degree in Nursing May 13, paid tribute to Veronica Howard, who passed away from cancer in October 2025 during her third semester of nursing school. Howard had worked for more than 20 years in home health and nursing homes. She was working toward an ADN at the time of her death.
“Miss Veronica was small in stature, with bright red hair and had a presence that filled every room she walked into. At 62 years old, she sat right alongside us — keeping up, showing up, and reminding us that determination does not have an age limit,” Kendrick said.
“She was driven to become a registered nurse and contribute to cancer research. She was compassionate, selfless and deeply intentional in everything she did. But what made Miss Veronica unforgettable wasn’t just her goals — it was her heart,” Kendrick said.
When she learned she had cancer and had to withdraw from school, “she did not respond with fear — she responded with strength. She reassured us. She encouraged us. She chose to carry her burden quietly so that we could stay focused and keep moving forward.”
Kendrick challenged classmates to take the impact Howard had on them and use it as “power to make a difference.”
“In a system that can sometimes feel cold, we will be the warmth. In moments filled with fear, we will be the reassurance. In darkness, we will be the light,” she said. “This is not just a career — it is a calling, a responsibility and a privilege.”
Hinds Community College is awarding more than 1,500 degrees and certificates during one of five graduation ceremonies this week, Wednesday-Friday.
Among the graduates, 615 are graduating with honors; 239 students are graduating cum laude, which is a 3.2-3.59 grade point average out of 4.0; 177 are graduating magna cum laude, 3.6-3.99 GPA and 199 are graduating summa cum laude, which is a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Graduating students offer the invocation, benediction and speak on behalf of classmates at all five ceremonies.
Serenity Montgomery of Vicksburg offered the invocation. She has completed the Respiratory Care Technology program at the Nursing Allied Health Center in Jackson. While at Hinds she participated in Phi Theta Kappa honor society. Her next step is to enter her chosen career.
Offering the benediction was Jake Wooten of Flowood. He has been attending the Rankin Campus and will earn his Associate Degree in Nursing. He is employed at Baptist Medical Center as a nurse extern in oncology. He has also been accepted into the University of Mississippi Medical Center Advanced Standing Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
