Melissa High School proudly hosted its inaugural Health Science Pinning Ceremony on May 23, 2024, at the Melissa Arts Center. This symbolic event marks the completion of an educational pathway and the transition into a professional career, highlighting both the rigor of the students' education and the promising future ahead of them. It is a tradition in Health Science careers to honor students' hard work and dedication with a pinning ceremony.
During the ceremony, 52 MHS students were pinned as Certified Clinical Medical Assistants (CCMA), with ten of these students also earning the dual distinction of Certified Electrocardiogram Technicians (CET/EKG). The pinning ceremony also included students who passed their certification in 2023 as juniors.
The CCMA certification exam is administered once students have completed all coursework and demonstrated the required skills. This challenging exam consists of 180 questions over three hours, with a passing score set at 390 out of a maximum of 500. Impressively, all MHS students this year achieved a 100% pass rate, scoring 390 or higher.
The CET certification exam, given after students complete extensive didactic classes, hands-on skills, and clinical hours, includes 150 questions over a two-hour period. Similar to the CCMA exam, the passing score is 390 out of 500. Once again, all MHS students passed with scores of 390 or higher.
At the ceremony, seven students were honored as top scorers:
Mckayla George - 2023 CCMA Score: 451
Taylor Ortega - 2023 CCMA Score: 439 & 2024 CET Score: 445
Genevieve Chong - 2024 CET Score: 442
Brogan Middleton - 2024 CCMA Score: 441
Layan Alwazzan - 2024 CCMA Score: 434
Tabitha Sandoval - 2024 CCMA Score: 433
Congratulations to all the students recognized for their outstanding academic achievements! A huge thank you to the health science staff members for their time and dedication in guiding these exceptional students toward success. Melissa ISD is immensely proud of these students and looks forward to celebrating their future accomplishments in the professional world.
Students recognized at pinning ceremony:
Dual Distinction (EKG & CCMA): Frida Mariel Cervantes, Genevieve Cong, Mara Dooley, Mckayla George, Kylie Gutierrez, Hanyya Khan, Natalie Nguyen, Taylor Ortega, Makayla Powell, Siya Shukla
CCMA Pinning: Alyssa Thompson, Anna Vorheis, Michael Ajayi, Emma Hernandez, Emerson Trevino, Layan Alwazzan, Michael Bartlett, Logan Clark, Jesse Contreras, Ava Day, Paola Delgado, Gabriella Lacey, Alejandro Luna, Kevin Maina, Tyler Mayes, Brogan Middleton, Hayden Migenes, Paisley Needham, Elizabeth Nguyen, Nathaniel Obianke, Glory Sadek, Tabitha Sandoval, Miranda Sirota, Alexandra Starr, Keara Wylie, Michael Chatman, Bishop Curry, Isabel De La Cruz, Alexa Fernandez, Ann Garrett, Jade Gonzales, Isabela Howes, Simisola Kehinde, Julie Lado, Breanna Sotelo, Savana Thomas, Ellie Thompson, Lorelai Thompson, Alexandra Waishwell, Lelia Wormington, America Zeitler