MEQUON, Wis. — Two physical therapy students at Concordia University are making history this graduation week by establishing the school's first-ever white coat ceremony for their program.
Jamie Schneider and Annabella Kolinski, both in their final year of studies, organized the inaugural ceremony Friday night to mark their cohort's transition from classroom learning to on-the-job training next month.
"We're just making sure our cohort has this moment to celebrate," Schneider said. "[It's our] first time we are doing something like this.
The white coat ceremony is a medical school tradition that the students brought to Concordia's physical therapy program for the first time.
"I look at it as a meaningful pause between our schoolwork and going out into the profession," Kolinski said. "I'm really proud we're doing something historic... It is a surreal moment for sure."
Watch: Concordia physical therapy students start white coat ceremony tradition to kick off graduation festivities
Schneider has spent six and a half years studying, the last few at Concordia for her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. For both students, this ceremony represents one of their final moments as full-time students before entering their profession.
The ceremony will include friends and family as the 22-student cohort receives their white coats before beginning their clinical rotations. Program chair and Concordia alumnus Dale Gerke credited his students for working hard and organizing the event.
"They have been planning this experience since their first year in the program, and it's really a symbolic experience, a symbolic celebration of everything they have accomplished academically," Gerke said.
The celebration comes during a bittersweet graduation weekend for the university. The community is mourning the loss of pharmacy student Ariel Spillner, who was shot and killed last month in her final year of studies.
"Any loss of Concordia is a loss of the family in a sense, so we are deeply remorseful," Schneider said.
The university's winter commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, while Schneider and Kolinski will officially graduate from the university in May.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
