Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Vocational School of Health Services bid farewell to its students with the 2025–2026 Academic Year Graduation Ceremony. Graduates of the Vocational School of Health Services experienced the excitement of taking their first steps into a new chapter of life during the ceremony.

The event, held at the Vocational School of Health Services, was attended by OMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz, Director of the Vocational School of Health Services Dr. Faruk Tan, vice directors, academics, healthcare professionals, students, and their families.

Director Tan: “This Profession Is Built on Compassion and Love for Humanity”

In his opening speech, Director of the Vocational School of Health Services Dr. Faruk Tan recalled that the school began its educational journey in 1988 with programs in Nursing, Radiology, and Medical Laboratory Sciences, emphasizing its 38-year history and strong institutional heritage.

Highlighting that healthcare is not merely a profession but also a field requiring great responsibility and dedication, Tan stated:

“Healthcare is a sacred field that cannot be confined to working hours, does not tolerate mistakes, and is fundamentally built on compassion and love for humanity. You should treat every patient as if they were your most precious loved one and practice your profession with empathy and mercy.”

Tan also thanked the academic staff who prepared students for professional life and the families who entrusted their children to the institution.

Vice Rector Kurnaz: “Our Graduates Are the Strongest Representatives of Our University”

OMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz described graduation as the moment when students leave their academic home and begin a new journey. He noted that the Vocational School of Health Services is among the university’s most successful academic units.

“The size and quality of a university are measured by the quality of its graduates. Today, you are not only receiving a diploma; you are also assuming the responsibility of representing our university. I am confident that you will represent OMU in the best possible way wherever you go.”

Valedictorian Şentürk: “Determination Is More Valuable Than Perfection”

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Neslihan Şentürk, top graduate of the Dialysis Program, stated that the educational journey had been not only an academic process but also a personal struggle.

“Throughout this journey, our greatest challenge was not the outside world, but our own anxieties and fears. It was not perfection, but every determined step that carried us toward success. Wherever we may be, I believe we should carry kindness alongside knowledge and conscience alongside achievement.”

Following the speeches, certificates of achievement were presented to the graduates by academic staff.

The graduation ceremony concluded with students joyfully tossing their caps into the air.