College of Saint Mary Recognizes 33 Students in Annual PA White Coat Ceremony

OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary honored 33 students during its annual Physician Assistant White Coat Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 11, in the Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse. The event recognizes students who have earned entry into clinical patient care by presenting them with their white coats.

Risa Zimmerman, MBA, MPAS, PA-C, interim program director, presided over the ceremony while Tennasynn Boersen M’26 led the invocation. Alumna Mitzi Infante-Magana M’18, PA-C, delivered the keynote address.

“The coat is more than just a piece of clothing,” Infante-Magana said. “It embodies your responsibility as a healthcare provider. It signifies the trust, respect and ethical obligations that we hold towards our patients. When you don this coat today and every day in your career, you must remember that it is not just about the knowledge you possess, but also the compassion that you will show and the care you will provide.”

Associate Professor Jeff Keyte, MD, and assistant professors Lindsey Kaiser, MPAS, PA-C, and Matt Roesner, MSPAS, PA-C, presented the students with their white coats. The students then recited the Physician Assistant Student Oath.

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage into the profession for PA students beginning their careers in healthcare. The White Coat symbolizes professionalism, ethical behavior, compassionate care, and service to others.

Upon receiving their white coats, students will complete their didactic year of education in the classroom and then enter their final 12 months of clinical rotations with hands-on practice in varied medical settings.

Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2026

Garrison Beach, Logan, Utah

Tennasynn Boersen, Hampton, Neb.

Olivia Bohac, Valparaiso, Neb.

Grace Breckenridge, Blair, Neb.

Zoe Brenden, Pierce, Neb.

Rylee Claussen, Long Grove, Iowa

Brizeth Covarrubias, Omaha

Deirdre Cross, Jefferson, S.D.

Addison Dorn, Filley, Neb.

Jocelyn Farhar, Broomfield, Colo.

Jacy Fehl, Sioux City, Iowa

Daisy Gonzalez, Omaha

Callie Haneborg, North Platte, Neb.

Gabriella Hillman, Minneapolis, Minn.

Lexi Jenner, Holton, Kan.

Haley Kennedy, Arcadia, Calif.

Ananda Lopez, Leawood, Kan.

Pedro Martinez, Belmond, Iowa

Andrew Marzocchi, North Liberty, Iowa

Jena Mitchell, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Blake Morgan, Kirksville, Mo.

Evelyn Navarro, Banning, Calif.

Savannah Nolde, Raymond, Neb.

Kaleb Ovik, Kalispell, Mont.

My Pham, Sioux City, Iowa

Xena Refaie, Folsom, Calif.

Austin Streeter, West Point, Neb.

Reise Thomsen, Elkhorn, Neb.

Emma Thurmond, Overland Park, Kan.

Jack Vande Hei, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Rebeka Ventura, Lislique, El Salvador

Gloria Wosu, Columbia, Mo.

Oliviah Youngdahl, Minneapolis, Minn.