Butler Nursing Program welcomes sixty-six graduates to the nursing community

EL DORADO, Kan. – For Butler nursing student and military veteran Kylie Greybill, stepping forward to receive her nursing pin was the culmination of a long-awaited dream. Coming from a military family, Greybill enlisted in the Air Force out of high school with the intention of serving in the medical field. When she was instead chosen for airfield management, she realized her dream would have to wait.  

After serving four years, Greybill left the Air Force in 2013 to be a stay-at-home mom, while her husband continued his military career. When the family was reassigned from Eilsen Air Force base in Alaska to McConnell, Greybill saw her opportunity to pursue a career in medicine - enrolling in Butler’s joint ADN/BSN program with the University of Kansas.  

Greybill credits the military with helping her succeed through the rigorous program.  

“The military, it gives you a sense of yourself. They pretty much break you down in basic to build you back up, and I just got the discipline from them, the attention to detail, working under pressure. They make sure you excel at that.”  

Greybill also found the exposure to different cultures during her enlistment has been an asset to her nursing education.

“Just always working with a multitude of people. I worked with JASDF - which is the Japanese Air Force – while I was in Alaska. Just getting the different cultures and everybody from all these different backgrounds helped me in the nursing area, going through clinicals.”

Greybill will soon be putting her nursing skills to good use. As her family is packing up to move to Utah for her husband’s next assignment, Greybill has already accepted a position in an Intensive Care Unit, ICU, there.  

On Thursday, May 13, 66 Butler nursing program graduates stood to take their nursing pledge and receive their pins, including Butler’s first hearing-impaired graduate of the program, Kellie Troyer, as well as seven students receiving their joint KU BSN degree. 

The crowd was welcomed by Dr. Caleb Ediger, associate dean of nursing and allied health, followed by greetings from Jim Howell, Butler Board of Trustees member, Butler President Dr. Kim Krull, and Lori Winningham, vice president of academic affairs.  

Class President Sara Davis gave remarks on behalf of her fellow graduates.  

“Nursing and all that it encompasses is an incredibly special field to work in, and it takes commitment, dedication, faith, patience and a tenacious spirit to complete the required schooling for those who choose to follow the path of becoming a nurse. Each person you see in this class has had their own journey to follow in pursuit of this dream, and none of our stories are the same,” said Davis.  

Next, the International Council of Nurses’ Pledge was recited by Jessica Martin, class vice president.  

Ediger presented the KU BSN graduates, explaining the requirements of the program. 

“Several years ago, the University of Kansas approached the Butler Nursing Program about creating a partnership that would allow students to earn their bachelor's degree in nursing from KU and never have to leave the Butler campus. Students interested in this partnership completed approximately 60 credit hours of general education classes prior to simultaneously entering the Butler Community College and University of Kansas Nursing Program.    

Two years ago, there were seven students who embarked on this journey by entering the program of both of these nursing education powerhouses in the State of Kansas. Students in this partnership not only successfully completed every requirement of the Butler Nursing Program, but also completed a minimum of six credit hours of online coursework for each semester through KU, for a total of 30 extra credit hours.”

The students who were presented with honor cords for completing the ADN/BSN program are:  Kylie Greybill, Charles Hallberg, Anna Kuestersteffen, Kaylee Laham, Jake Pfeifer, Jenna Rossillon and Mason T. Webb.

Faculty sponsor Kimberly Hubble presented the Butler Student Nursing Association, BSNA, awards to Sara Davis,  

vice president; Jessica Martin, membership chair; Joseph Duncan, treasurer; and Bailey Wiser, secretary.

The event culminated in the pinning of 66 new Butler graduates who are ready to embark on their nursing careers.

Click here to view nurses pinning photo gallery

Nursing Graduates by Hometown:   

* denotes KU BSN Graduate 

Andover, Kan. 

Lesa Albin, Erica Duncan, Joseph Duncan, Denver Smith

Arkansas City, Kan. 

Javier Aragon-Lopez

Augusta. Kan.  

Raegen Davis, Karen Shupe, Kellie Troyer

Benton, Kan.  

Haley Mitchell

Clearwater, Kan.  

*Charles Hallberg

Derby, Kan. 

Sara Davis, Carly Gum, Avery Lewellen, *Jenna Rossillon, Calum Weeks

Douglass, Kan.  

Sara Cox, Debra Lowe

El Dorado, Kan.  

Ricki Burks, *Annah Kuestersteffen, Elizabeth Morlan, Angela Walter

Goddard, Kan.  

Michael Huerter, Sejal Lazarus

Haysville, Kan. 

Chelsea Barclay, Michaela Traudt

Maize, Kan.  

Kira Busker

Mulvane, Kan.  

Laura Nekl

Newton, Kan.  

Jessica Martin

Park City, Kan.  

Kayla Ermey

Potwin, Kan.  

*Kaylee Laham

Rose Hill, Kan.  

Jessica Gowdy, Kelsey Jacobs

Sedgwick, Kan. 

Avery Tanner

Wichita, Kan. 

67203 

Mirna Garcia, Wendy Lewis-Jones 

67204 

Reyna Pina, Rachel Schmidt,  

67206 

Dariana Fernandez-Castro 

67207 

Magdalene Chege, Andy Luu, Yoana Mangusheva, Tram Nguyen, Dalena Nguyen  

67208 

Mercedes Moore 

67209 

Heather Dextradeur, Annah Nyamari  

67210 

*Kylie Greybill 

67212 

Karen Aragonez-Jackson, Alexandra Condit, *Mason Webb 

67213 

Terrin Collins, Cassandra Harris 

67214 

Leslie Claudio-Estrada  

67215 

Madeline Meier 

67216 

Dickson Onsare 

67217 

Stephanie Dang, Raven Otipoby, Cecilia Rivera-Cardenas,  

67218 

Liliana Henriquez 

67219 

Moleika Blair  

67223 

*Jake Pfeifer 

67226 

Renee Alexander  

67230 

LaTonya Henley, Bailey Wiser 

67235 

Rian Probst, Kayleigh Withers