The 2025 graduates of the Practical Nursing program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee (UAM-CTM) recently achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). This marks the third consecutive year that all graduates have passed the exam on their first attempt.
The December 2025 program cohort includes Maria Avila, Melanie Barajas, Kennedi Bledsoe, Emmaleigh Branch, Megan Forrest, Carmen Fourie, Zoe Humphries, Kanesia Pitts, Monisha Williams and Halle Wilson.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for their dedication, resilience and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Paisley Owyoung, director of Allied Health at UAM-CTM, said in a news release.
“Their success on the NCLEX is a direct reflection of their hard work and perseverance, as well as the outstanding nursing faculty who invest their time, expertise and mentorship into every student. This achievement speaks to both the determination of our graduates and the exceptional quality of our nursing program,” Owyoung said.
The Practical Nursing program at UAM-CTM is a 12-month course of study that requires 42 credit hours to complete and graduate. Students complete more than 800 hours of clinical work in various healthcare settings. Nursing clinicals are supervised sessions in which students apply their classroom knowledge in real-world environments.
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The program at UAM-CTM was recognized as the top practical nursing program in Arkansas for five consecutive years, from 2021 to 2025, by PracticalNursing.org, the nation’s leading licensed practical nursing advancement and ranking agency. This recognition is based on multiple factors that represent how well a program supports students toward licensure and beyond. One of the largest factors is the past and present first-time NCLEX pass rates of students in the program.
Details: Paisley Owyoung at owyoungp@uamont.edu or (870) 460-2124.