Team Spotlight
From Hospital Gown to Cap and Gown
Jun 9, 2025
Mariachi music and confetti are not usually part of the send-off for patients when they leave the hospital. But this was no ordinary discharge day for Ulyses and Cindia.
On May 28, 2025, the high school seniors walked out of their hospital rooms at Adventist Health Delano and into a crowded hallway lined with nurses, hospital staff, and a Mariachi band playing the “Pomp and Circumstance” graduation ceremony song.
The surprise brought tears of joy, since the students were unable to attend their own graduation ceremonies due to their hospital stays.
In Adventist Health fashion, the nursing staff saw this as an opportunity to live God’s love and quickly organized a ceremony with balloons, confetti, dessert, and gifts, including stuffed animals that the nurses signed with congratulatory messages.
The celebration happened during Healthcare Week celebrations for the hospital staff, so a mariachi band was already present that day. The nursing staff asked the band to play “Pomp and Circumstance” for the impromptu graduation celebration, which they were happy to oblige.
Many who attended Healthcare Week also filled the hallway to wish the graduates and their families a farewell. The hospital’s chaplain, Danny Parada, even shared a few words of encouragement for the high school seniors.
“Adventist Health is a good hospital full of people who care, and just overall, a good environment,” said Cindia who plans to attend California State University, Bakersfield. Cindia aspires to enter the medical field, specifically nursing. During her hospital stay, the nurses made it a point to add some education and instruction into Cindia’s care, giving her helpful nursing tips along the way.
Ulyses also plans to attend college in Bakersfield. His dream is to become a firefighter.
We thank the Adventist Health Delano team for living our mission and values by coordinating this intimate graduation ceremony that Cindia, Ulyses, and their loved ones will remember for years to come.
Celebrating a milestone
Watch as our care team made the milestone of graduating high school special for Cindia and Ulyses.
