VHCC 2025 Commencement Program

Commencement Speakers (continued)

Brandon Ball Associate of Applied Science, Nursing

Brandon Ball has spent most of his life living and working in Washington County, Virginia and enjoys time outdoors fishing and playing baseball with his two boys who are 13 and 10. He has worked as an officer at the Abingdon Jail for nine years and is currently working at Bristol Regional Medical Center as a Nurse Intern. Brandon has known since high school that at some point he wanted to be a nursing professional. He knew a few people who attended VHCC, and was convinced it was a logical and convenient next step to help him accomplish his goal of attending college and earning a degree. He credits VHCC for “preparing me for a nursing position upon graduation and providing me with the knowledge and skills to be successful.” Brandon admitted that “nursing school is tough.” In his case, however, his prior work experience helped him to remain calm through it all. Additionally, expert instructors and the simulation lab instilled confidence to better prepare him for real-life situations. His encouragement to fellow graduates is for them to know “I am proud of all of you for pushing

through even when we were overwhelmed and felt like we wouldn’t get through.” Brandon has already accepted an RN position at Bristol Regional Medical Center in the IMU-Step down unit, and hopes to further his education this fall at King University to obtain his BSN. One favorite memory of VHCC that Brandon will take with him is being able to go on the legislative trip to Richmond to meet the Southwest Virginia legislative delegation, and to get to see how the process of governance works.

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