Daniela Hernandez-Patrevito, a nursing student at Kankakee Community College, has been awarded The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nursing Students—a national honor that recognizes compassionate, skillful care.

The 2026 graduate from Momence received the award on May 15 at KCC’s Registered Nursing pinning ceremony.

She was chosen by a committee at the college and received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a hand-carved sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” created by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

Her nomination came from Tiffany Zirkle, a nurse preceptor at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, who mentored Hernandez-Patrevito during her clinical training.

“From the first day I met the students, Dani stood out to me,” Zirkle said in a news release. “Her passion for health care and her motivation to learn were impressive. One day, she had a challenging assignment. Her patient had a recent history of aggression, many medications, and difficulty following directions. I expected that any student would be nervous and awkward. Dani was not. She approached the patient with confidence, compassion, understanding, and patience. He took his medication with some encouragement from Dani and was cooperative with her all day because of her great character. I told my boss that day to remember her name because she is already an amazing nurse.”

Hernandez-Patrevito has accepted a position with Riverside Healthcare on a medical/pediatric floor.

KCC’s two-year registered nursing program accepts new students each fall and spring semester. The curriculum combines classroom lectures, clinical experiences, and lab demonstrations to prepare students for work in hospitals, long-term care, home care, outpatient clinics, public agencies, and physicians’ offices.

For information about entry requirements, contact program director Jennifer Rogers at jrogers@kcc.edu or 815-802-8828.