22 nursing students inducted into OADN Honor Society
December 10, 2025Yuma, Ariz. (December 10, 2025) – On December 3, 22 fourth-semester student nurses were inducted into the Alpha Delta Nu-Iota Theta (IT) Chapter of the Organization of Associate Degree Nurses (OADN) Honor Society at Arizona Western College, an accomplishment that demonstrates not only academic excellence but also a commitment to serving the Yuma community.
“I am proud to recognize our students for their exceptional academic excellence and dedication to the nursing profession,” said Nursing Director Stephanie Francis, “Their dedication and commitment highlight what our program stands for and the impact they will make in patient care. I am grateful to our faculty advisors, Amber Ortega and Dr. Tracy MacDonald, for their outstanding leadership and support. Congratulations to all of our inductees on this well-earned honor!”
To be eligible for the honor society, students must maintain a B in all nursing program courses and complete a community service project of their choice. This semester, student-led projects included collecting toys for Amberly’s Place in preparation of the holiday season and stocking the AWC Cubby with items to meet the needs of fellow students. Collectively, the chapter was able to donate over 990 pounds of food and roughly $620 to the Yuma Community Food Bank to help support the organization’s mission of fighting hunger in the community.
“What inspires us most is seeing how excited the students get when it comes to serving and meeting the needs of the community,” shared faculty advisors Amber Ortega and Dr. Tracy MacDonald, who are both Nursing professors at AWC. “They match our enthusiasm, and they take every challenge by the scruff of the neck and run with it.”
“What makes it even more meaningful is that these projects are student-led,” Ortega and MacDonald continued. “Our future nurses are showing us not just that they’re ready to meet community health needs, but they are demonstrating leadership, initiative, and a genuine commitment to the people around them. Our nursing students are succeeding academically and serving their own community where it counts most. And they’re doing a truly wonderful job.”
40 students are currently active in the IT Chapter, with another cohort of eligible students planning to register in the Spring.
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About the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing:
As the national advocate for the over 1,100 associate degree nursing programs across the country, the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) works to advance excellence in nursing education and associate degree pathways into registered nursing careers. The organization aims to expand networks that promote leadership, collaboration, and advocacy to further enrich nursing education.
About the Alpha Delta Nu:
The Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society is the only honor society in the nation for Associate Degree Nursing students. Its mission is to recognize the academic excellence of students in the study of Associate Degree Nursing. The society encourages the pursuit of advance degrees in the profession of nursing as well as continuing education as a life-long professional responsibility.
Contact:
Stephanie Francis, MSN, RN, CNE
Director of Nursing
Arizona Western College
stephanie.francis@azwestern.edu
(928) 317-6038