DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin University’s School of Nursing hosted its annual Legacy of the Lamp ceremony on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, honoring the dedication, compassion, and academic achievements of its nursing students as they advanced to upper-level coursework. The event, held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, next to Millikin’s campus during Homecoming weekend, celebrated the transition from novice to professional nurse — a symbolic and significant step in the students’ journey toward joining one of the most trusted professions in the world.
School of Nursing Instructor Kelley Evans welcomed students, faculty, families, and special guests, including Dr. Andrew Smith, Dean of the College of Professional Studies, and Dr. Teresa Gully, Director of the School of Nursing. In her remarks, Gulley reflected on the ceremony’s historical and symbolic importance, drawing inspiration from Florence Nightingale, known as the “Lady with the Lamp.”
“The lamp symbolizes your commitment to face the adversity that the profession of nursing can bring,” Gulley said. “It represents your promise to advocate for your patients, to pursue lifelong learning, and to be guided by compassion and courage in moments of challenge.”
The event also featured remarks from Dr. Timothy Carrigan, Millikin alumnus and the School of Nursing’s 2025 Alumnus of the Year. Carrigan currently serves as System Chief Nurse Executive for Loyola Medicine and St. Joseph Health System, overseeing more than 11,000 colleagues across Illinois and Indiana. A 2001 Millikin graduate, Carrigan expressed his gratitude for the education that launched his career and shared wisdom from more than two decades of nursing leadership experience.
Carrigan urged students to approach their profession with empathy, advocacy, and professionalism anchored in three key principles: assume good intent, be active, and be nice. He challenged them to lead with respect for others, to use their collective voice to influence healthcare policy, and to build positive, inclusive workplaces where nurses support one another.
“As a collective, unified voice of four million nurses, we can be incredibly loud and shape the future of healthcare,” Carrigan said. “Even as new graduates, you have the expertise and the power to make a difference.”
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Florence Nightingale lamps, a hallmark of the event.
Florence Nightingale used her lamp as both a practical tool and a lasting symbol of compassion, dedication, and hope in nursing. During the Crimean War in the 1850s, Nightingale cared for wounded soldiers in harsh, unsanitary battlefield hospitals. Each night, she made her rounds, carrying a small lamp, and checked on patients long after others had gone to rest. Her nightly visits brought comfort to the injured and dying soldiers, who came to associate her presence with light, safety, and kindness in the midst of suffering. The image of Nightingale walking through dark hospital corridors with her lamp quickly became legendary, symbolizing the nurse’s unwavering commitment to caring for others.
“I wish for each of you that you will discover in yourself the courage and compassion that Florence Nightingale brought to this wonderful profession. May you always be guided by the lamp in the dark,” Gulley said.
