Hinds CC Nursing and Allied Health graduates launch into well-paying professions
Pearl, MS (08/04/2026) — Heath DePriest of Raymond proudly held the plaque recognizing him as an outstanding Hinds Community College paramedic student following a July 22 pinning ceremony that launched he and 80 others from student to health professional.
It was the 34-year-old's third Hinds CC graduation. He earned an associate's degree while studying criminal justice right out of high school but decided continuing to a four-year university wasn't his path. He returned to Hinds to earn an emergency medical technician credential seven years ago. More recently, DePriest decided to pursue becoming a paramedic because he wanted to provide more intensive care to patients.
"Hinds is a family to me. The instructors are the best. I see them in their work in the classroom and in the streets," said DePriest, who was the first in his class to pass the national paramedics exam and begins a new job with American Medical Response (AMR) this week. "They have the best training for us and are always available to us, 24 hours a day, whether for school or if we need them for something personal."
Hinds offers multiple one-year credentialing programs designed to prepare students for careers in the healthcare field including dental assisting technology, diagnostic medical sonography, emergency medical sciences, practical nursing and surgical technology. The demand for health care professionals is high in the region and the jobs pay well.
All 12 graduating dental assisting stenographers passed board exams and will soon begin jobs with starting salaries of $48.50 an hour, said recently retired Hinds Diagnostic Medical Sonography Department Chair Lesa Wilson. The national average for passing the tests is 63%, she said.
Wilson said this cohort of graduates was the strongest class in her 19 years at Hinds. Twelve started the obstetrics-gynecology stenography program and they all finished together.
"This is the last group I get to call my kids. They were ready to learn and they were eager and pushed hard from day one," Wilson said. "They can go wherever they want and find a job."
AMR representative Koko Rucker, an adjunct instructor for the Hinds emergency medical services program and a 2014 Hinds graduate of the same program, said the company loves to hire Hinds graduates.
"I love them all because of their drive to take care of patients," Rucker said after the graduation.
With five campuses in central Mississippi, Hinds Community College is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills.
Our Mission: Hinds Community College is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.
Our Vision: Hinds Community College will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.
Our Values: Hinds Community College aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.
To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.HindsCC.
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All 2026 summer graduates of the diagnostic medical sonography program at Hinds CC passed their board exams and secured jobs starting at $48.50 an hour. Recently retired Department Chair Lesa Wilson said it was the best class she can remember in her 19-year tenure.
Hinds CC allied health students celebrate graduation with a candle lighting ceremony on July 22, 2026, on the Rankin Campus.
Hinds CC practical nursing graduate Arriyon Gaines, 27, of Horn Lake, returned to school after working as a certified nursing assistant for four years. At a July 22, 2026, pinning ceremony at George E. Wynn Hall on Hinds' Rankin Campus, Gaines said he was excited begin caring for patients at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson.
Hinds CC paramedic program graduate Heath DePriest of Raymond and his wife, Lauren DePriest, celebrate following Heath’s pinning ceremony on July 22, 2026, at George E. Wynne Hall on the Rankin Campus. Heath is a three-time graduate of Hinds.