Goldsboro, N.C. — (May 22) — Wayne Community College (WCC) celebrated the achievements of its 2025 Medical Laboratory Technology and Medical Assisting graduates during a heartfelt pinning ceremony, marking their transition from students to healthcare professionals.

The event, a longstanding tradition in healthcare education, recognized the dedication, perseverance, and academic success of the graduates. Each student received a ceremonial pin symbolizing the completion of their studies and the beginning of their careers in the medical field.

Heather Odom, WCC’s Medical Assisting Program Director and Instructor, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments. “I speak for all of us when I say we have enjoyed being part of your educational journey,” she told the gathered students, faculty, and families.

Cole Eslyn, Director of the Medical Laboratory Technology Program, applauded the graduates’ hard work and resilience. “Completing one of these programs is not an easy task,” Eslyn said. “But all those sacrifices have been worth it.” She urged the graduates to continue growing in their careers, reminding them, “You have all chosen a career field that is inherently selfless… Do not lose your empathy or your thirst for knowledge.”

Awards Recognize Excellence

Outstanding students were honored with special awards for their academic and clinical achievements:

• Academic Excellence Award
  • Medical Assisting: Brandee McMillan
  • Medical Laboratory Technology: Ashlyn Disney
• Clinical Excellence Award
  • Medical Assisting: Citlalli Guerrero-Pacheco
  • Medical Laboratory Technology: Damina Young

Each recipient received a commemorative plaque during the ceremony.

2025 Graduates by Hometown and Program

Dudley

• Jennifer Ruiz-Baltazar – Medical Assisting

Elm City

• Deja Dew – Medical Assisting

Goldsboro

• Ashlyn Disney – Medical Laboratory Technology
• Citlalli Guerrero-Pacheco – Medical Assisting
• Brandee McMillan – Medical Assisting
• Hellen Mullens – Medical Assisting
• Ariana Rodriguez – Medical Assisting
• Damina Young – Medical Laboratory Technology

Mount Olive

• Olivia Hernandez-Fierros – Medical Assisting
• Sammie Smith – Medical Laboratory Technology

Pikeville

• Steanna Barnes – Medical Assisting
• Danielle Gibbs – Medical Assisting

Princeton

• Spencer Harrell – Medical Laboratory Technology
• Rebekah Nichols – Medical Laboratory Technology

Program Accreditation and Career Pathways

WCC’s Medical Laboratory Technology associate-degree program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

The Medical Assisting program, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, offers both an associate degree and a certificate. Graduates of the degree program qualify to take the American Association of Medical Assistants’ Certification Examination.

Both are competitive, limited-admission programs designed to prepare students for high-demand roles in the healthcare sector.

For more information about these programs, visit www.waynecc.edu.