Iowa Central Community College honored its Radiologic Technology graduates with a pinning ceremony Wednesday evening, July 12 at the Bioscience and Health Sciences Building Auditorium on the Iowa Central campus in Fort Dodge.
Clinical Coordinator Althea Rouse presented the 2023 Radiology Awards in Academic Excellence, Clinical Excellence, Excellence in Clinical Preceptor and Student Choice Award. Receiving the Clinical Excellence Award was Grant Wesselmann, Student’s Choice Award was given to Angela Castro-Garcia and the Excellence in Clinical Preceptor Award was presented to Lindsay Peterson. Recipients of the Academic Excellence Award were Jaynie Ferrari and Leandra Schupbach.
Program Director Lindsay Heffernan conducted the conferring of pins to the 14 graduates.
During the two years in the Radiology program, the students completed over 1700 hours of clinical, 180 hours of lab and 600 hours in the classroom.
Class of 2023 Program Graduate Jaynie Ferrari presented the student address. Hope Petzenhauser, of Lake City, a 2010 graduate of the Iowa Central Radiologic Technology Program, gave the keynote address for the evening. Petzenhauser has an associate’s degree in radiology from Iowa Central, bachelor’s degree in Radiation Sciences from the University of Iowa, certificate in Radiation Therapy from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and a master’s degree in radiation science from Southern Illinois University. She is lead radiation therapist at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Petzenhauser recalled her time in Iowa Central’s classrooms both as a student in the program and as an instructor.
“I am glad that I was a small piece of your puzzle at Iowa Central; Iowa Central has always been a place that has felt like home to me,” she said. I met friends and mentors and created lifelong connections. When I started teaching the Limited Radiography class, I was so excited to help each of you on your path, help you grow, and share my knowledge base.”
Petzenhauser said she may have learned a few life lessons from her students as they learned radiology techniques from her.
“My desire to teach lead me to learn so much from these young students,” she said. “They taught me to be curious again, to yearn for more knowledge, and to not take life too seriously.”
She reminded the students that it is okay to learn from mistakes and to always remember that students, which they may encounter in their professional careers, need to know and learn from that, too.
“It is completely fine to make mistakes and to laugh about them,” said Petzenhauser. “We are all human which means we make mistakes; perfection does not exist. Bring value to all that you do, ask hard questions, be brave, be courageous, most of all know your worth. And last but not least, never forget what it feels like to be a first-year x-ray student.”
2023 Radiologic Technology graduates are: Kaetlin Bendickson, Alden, MN; Sophie Carrison, Mountain Lake, MN; Angela Castro-Garcia, Clarion; Riley Christoffer, Estherville; Payton Crouch, Fort Dodge; Jaynie Ferrari, Dayton; Ally Hanus, Webster City; Noelle Houck, Radcliffe; Makenna Nowotny, Brooklyn; Saige Pietig, Carroll; Reece Sadler, Ankeny; Claudia Schroeder, Carroll; Leandra Schupbach, Ottosen; Grant Wesselmann, Hubbard.