The University of Florida College of Nursing celebrated a new tradition during spring commencement with its inaugural Florence Nightingale Doctoral Lamp Lighting Ceremony, honoring Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy graduates as they prepare for the next chapter of nursing leadership.
Held as a symbolic recognition of advanced nursing scholars, the ceremony drew inspiration from Florence Nightingale, whose lamp became a lasting symbol of service, science and compassionate care.
“Today, we celebrate our first Florence Nightingale Doctoral Lamp Lighting Ceremony,” said Shakira Henderson, PhD, DNP, MS, MPH, MBA, IBCLC, RNC-NICC, dean of the UF College of Nursing and system chief nurse executive for UF Health. “As graduates of our advanced nursing programs, including our Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy scholars, you represent the future of nursing. You are leaders, innovators and scientists. You are prepared to transform systems, advance knowledge and improve health outcomes on a global scale.”
Henderson said the lamp symbolizes knowledge, service, science and compassionate leadership, reflecting graduates’ responsibility to lead boldly, think critically and serve with integrity.
Kim Curry, PhD, ARNP, FAANP, president of the College of Nursing Alumni Board, welcomed graduates into the alumni family and reminded them of the legacy they now carry forward as Gator Nurses.
“Today marks a defining transition in your journey, from students to professionals, from learners to leaders and from those preparing to enter the profession to those actively shaping it,” Curry said. “You now join a strong, diverse and growing network of Gator Nurses making a difference in communities across Florida, the nation and the world.”
Michelle Edmonds, PhD, MSN, BSN, FNP, CNE, interim senior associate dean of academic programs and clinical professor, reflected on the resilience required to complete doctoral education.
“The lamp you will receive today symbolizes the knowledge you have earned, the discipline you have demonstrated and the responsibility you now carry forward,” Edmonds said. “It represents your ability to bring light into complexity, to translate evidence into practice and to lead in spaces where clarity, courage and compassion are needed most.”
Michael Maymi, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC, CCRN, CNE, clinical associate professor and DNP track coordinator, challenged graduates to lead change across health care systems.
“You are not only clinicians; you are system thinkers, advocates, educators and leaders,” Maymi said. “Health care will continue to change, and it needs nurse practitioners who are prepared to lead that change who Care, Lead and Inspire – Boldly.”
DNP candidate Alexis Hall, PhD, MS, encouraged graduates to use their education to create meaningful change.
“A doctoral degree does more than give you credentials,” Hall said. “It opens doors. It creates opportunities. It places you in rooms where decisions are made, where innovation happens and where your voice matters.”
The ceremony also recognized Monica Barfield, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, founder of New Horizon Primary Care and the college’s 2026 Alumna of the Year. Barfield encouraged graduates to embrace their authentic voice.
“You do not have to have a perfect journey to have a powerful one,” Barfield said. “You do not have to fit a mold to lead. You just have to be willing to step into who you are.”
For Stefanie Lugo, who graduated with her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, the ceremony added a meaningful layer to commencement and strengthened her connection to nursing’s history.
“I loved having the separate ceremony, the lamp lighting ceremony,” Lugo said. “That was special and encouraged us in our leadership and future practice and endeavors.”
Lugo said the ceremony also created valuable time for graduates to reflect and reconnect with faculty and classmates.
“It was exciting and a time to get together with colleagues and with faculty, and I really enjoyed it,” she said.
For Lugo, the lamp lighting itself was especially meaningful because it connected her doctoral graduation to her earliest nursing milestone.
“To have that connection back to my first candle lighting ceremony when I graduated with my bachelor’s in 2002 was very reminiscent,” Lugo said. “I think it’s good to know our foundations and roots. I found that to be very special.”
During the ceremony, graduates received and lit their lamps before reciting a collective affirmation pledging to use knowledge to improve outcomes, advance health and strengthen systems.
In her closing remarks, Henderson challenged graduates to see the moment not as an entry into nursing, but as a transition into ownership of leadership.
“You are doctoral-prepared nurses,” Henderson said. “You are not trained to preserve what is broken. You are trained to measure it, challenge it and rebuild it.”
She closed with one final question for graduates: “What will you do with the light?”
