Previous slide
Next slide
Previous slide
Next slide
Under the beaming Cameroonian sun, 223 students dressed in caps and gowns stepped out onto the stage to thunderous applause and cheers from proud families, faculty, and distinguished guests. The 10th Graduation Ceremony of the Florence Nightingale Higher Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences (FLENHIHBS) honored the institute’s largest graduating class to date, recognizing years of intensive study and preparation to serve as the next generation of caring and compassionate healthcare professionals for their communities and nation.
The 10th graduation ceremony at the Florence Nightingale Higher Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences (FLENHIHBS) was a joyous and inspirational event celebrating the achievements of 223 talented nursing and allied health students. Attended by school staff, regional officials, parents, and special guests, the ceremony marked the culmination of years of diligent study and preparation as the graduates embark on their careers as healthcare professionals serving local communities.
The event began with the procession of the graduates, resplendent in their ceremonial gowns and caps. The National Anthem and school anthem were sung, focusing attention on the importance of this milestone. In his opening remarks, the Ceremony Host introduced the program and speakers for the event ahead.
As students lined up, smiles overflowed from under their caps and gowns, which they proudly wore for the first time. The national anthem played harmoniously, sung by hundreds of voices, filling all present with a shared sense of purpose. This long-awaited ceremony marked the culmination of late nights studying complex anatomy, early morning clinical rotations witnessing firsthand the fragility of life, and lifelong dreams of impacting lives through medicine.
As Master of Ceremonies, the Ceremony Host skillfully guided the momentous occasion from start to finish, ushering along the celebration that honored years of diligence now coming to beautiful fruition. He set the inspirational tone welcoming the audience, introducing the National Anthem that evoked a shared sense of purpose, and leading attendees through the event’s segments. The Host MC recognized each speaker and performance, maintaining seamless transitions between gravity-filled speeches motivating graduates to benevolence and creative talents rousing cultural pride. Through thoughtful direction advancing segments, the Master of Ceremonies played an integral role fostering cohesion, inspiration and honor – critical to recognizing monumental efforts on this long-awaited day as 223 nursing and allied health devotees culminate their academic journeys, embracing the noble charge to extend care and healing.
Â
In her graduation address, the Institute Director proudly reviewed the school’s mission to provide exceptional nursing and allied health training to empower students for career success in meeting Cameroon’s evolving healthcare needs. She lauded this year’s talented graduating class of 223 for their accomplishments in achieving this mission. Highlighting the school’s incredible record of examination success this year, she also described recent enhancements like the new website, Digital Education Portal, and online admissions processing that enrich the student experience and strengthen educational offerings.
The Regional Delegate of Public Health remarked that the school’s activities have been closely monitored by the Pedagogic Board and deemed satisfactory in producing quality graduates. He explained how nursing curriculum reforms ensure this graduating class is even better prepared than previous years’ nurses, with 95.1% passing the exam for Nursing Assistants and 15.2% passing the State Registered Nurse exam. He guaranteed prominent future employers the caliber of graduates that FLENHIBS is sending into the healthcare field.
In his speech, the Divisional Officer for Bamenda 3 commended the Director and staff for establishing such an impactful institution to train ethical, moral healthcare personnel. Underscoring their commitment to duty in fulfilling expectations, he reminded the Regional Delegate and Public Health staff to continue ensuring the school meets healthcare training standards. To graduates, he stressed that their core mission in serving patients starts with psychological healing and maintaining high standards. To current students, he impressed that they purposefully chose this career to save lives.
The first speech was delivered by the Student Union President, welcoming all the guests and conveying heartfelt appreciation to the school’s Director and staff for their guidance and support. He thanked the administration for ensuring the graduates were fully prepared for successful healthcare careers.
Guest speaker and motivational speaker Oliver Nchom then inspired graduates with his own story of determination in achieving career success and overcoming life’s challenges. Urging graduates to engage in creating solutions for local communities, he asked them to consider what they can contribute to the nation. He applauded parents for their sacrifices and encouraged graduates to live up to expectations.
Following the Divisional Officer’s rousing graduation remarks, FLENHIBS joyously recognized standout students for superlative academic and leadership excellence. The Institute Director, assisted by faculty members, presented awards to 4 students demonstrating phenomenal skill in psychiatric nursing, 2 laboratory technicians boasting remarkable accuracy rates, 5 midwives delivering double the required clinical hours, and a radiology student publishing formidable research on optimizing imaging techniques. The graduation ceremony also honored impressive student leaders: Florence Nightingale Awards for Integrity and Compassion were given to the Student Union President along with the senior class President for peer mentorship. As beaming prize winners with astonished smiles came forward to receive their accolades, proud parents intrinsically understood their children’s burning midnight oil. The awards presentation fueled motivation for upcoming classes to carry forth the pursuit of knowledge and service. On this momentous graduation day already thick with emotions of nostalgia and new beginnings, recognizing superlative student contributions added a profound layer of inspiration, lighting communal sparks to keep reaching higher.
Following a jubilant awards ceremony recognizing exemplary talent and leadership, the long-awaited presentation of certificates ceremoniously confirmed graduates’ incredible achievements, eliciting a fresh wave of smiles and tears.
One by one, names rang out proudly as graduating students walked across the stage, often the heroes of their families as first university graduates. Mothers gasped seeing their once timid teenagers transformed, fathers steadied quivering hands to photograph their caps flying, and grandparents murmured prayers of blessings. Each graduate reverently accepted their hard-earned diploma from the Director who shook their hands firmly, as if transferring courage for the vital work ahead. Thunderous ovations greeted especially tenacious graduates who persevered despite substantial odds; their resilience spoke to human triumph chasing purpose.
As the ceremony progressed, creative passions were unveiled through rhythm, song, and tradition in performances that embodied cherished cultural roots. The celebration reflected the totality of these graduates – soon-to-be healthcare experts of sterling repute who will forever remember their formative journey together at FLENHIBS.
On this long-awaited day as graduation commemorates years of discipline yielding accomplishment, FLENHIBS honors its vital pledge to equip graduates not just with accolades but moral character to lead. As this passionate, resilient class now turns toward bright horizons, may their valiant service echo the Florence Nightingale spirit – utilizing compassion as the lamp to light dark nights until relief and comfort again grace those carrying heavy loads. Godspeed, graduates!
