A nursing graduate of Riverside College landed fourth place in the November 2021 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE).
Ia Hanna Ballares Samillano was surprised to find her name in the list of top 10 NLE examinees.
“I did not expect to top the NLE because there were other examinees who came from bigger schools, and my goal was just to achieve at least 85 percent rating,” Samillano said.
Samillano, who describes herself as an average student, got 87.80 percent rating according to the NLE result posted on the official website of Professional Regulation Commission’s (PRC).
She said she had a specific prayer everyday and also cited her family for being supportive of her, especially her aunt, US-based Dr. Maria May Samillano-Sarmiento, who was also present during the short interview.
Samillano, a native of Escalante City in Negros Occidental, finished her nursing course last April 2020 at Riverside College.
“Riverside College provides quality education with up-to-date facilities and equipment, and has supportive professors and lecturers,” Samillano said.
According to College of Nursing Dean Dinah A. Tanalgo, Riverside College had produced many topnotchers since 1977 and Samillano is one of those successful examinees.
“This year, our national passing rate for the first takers is 80%,” Tanalgo said.
For many years, Riverside College is widely known for producing top medical and health services graduates and helping their students graduate on time.
“Even in times of pandemic, enrolment in the College of Nursing is very overwhelming. We have the most number of students enrolled among other programs in Riverside College,” Tanalgo said.
Samillano has been offered to be a part of the Riverside Hospital or Riverside College faculty which she is considering. She also plans to take exams in the future to be a US RN like her sister but presently she prefers to stay to help the country in this time of pandemic.
In a simple ceremony led by Riverside College President Samuel Z. Lee, Dean Tanalgo and College of Nursing staff, Samillano was given a congratulatory letter from Commission on Higher Education and a P100,000 cash incentive from the Riverside College. (Robert Sumugat)/WDJ
