2008 Nursing Scholarships
VNA Foundation Awards Scholarships to Promote Community Nursing
The VNA Scholarship program is another means by which VNA works to preserve community-based services and promote community-focused nursing careers. Scholarships are awarded through Loyola and Rush Universities to students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs, and in return, scholarship recipients agree to practice for at least two years following graduation in a Chicago community- or home-based organization that serves the medically underserved
Selected as the 2008 VNA Foundation ABSN Scholars are:
Stacy Arriola
Loyola University Neihoff School of Nursing, ABSN May 2008
Received $33,123 toward tuition and fees
Ms. Arriola graduated from Loyola University Neihoff School of Nursing this past May with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She was accepted to the ABSN program at Loyola in May 2007, following her graduation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Community Health, 4 semesters on the Dean’s List, and participated in the James Scholar Honors Program. Ms. Arriola has volunteered since her high school years in a variety of settings, and it was her college coursework in community and public health, combined with her healthcare related extracurricular activities, which helped her to realize her goal to become a community nurse. Ms. Arriola plans to eventually return to school to study become a Family Nurse Practitioner, which will enable her to care for people of all ages.
“Although only in its second year, the VNA Foundation ABSN Scholars program is already proving to be one of our most satisfying efforts, and one which brings a rich and diverse mixture of talented young people into community-based nursing,” said VNA Executive Director Robert DiLeonardi. “If nursing is to flourish in the 21st century, it needs to be correctly recognized as an ideal career choice for talented young people from a variety of educational and experiential backgrounds. Through the scholars program, VNA facilitates the accelerated education of those who may be most likely to bring new ideas, excitement and commitment to the field. We are very proud of the 2007 VNA Scholars, and feel that both of these students, who were selected by their faculty, are ideal recipients.”
Angela Hartt
Rush University College of Nursing, ABSN Dec 2008
Received $32,480 toward tuition and fees
Ms. Hartt was accepted to Rush University College of Nursing ABSN program in the fall of 2007 and will complete her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in December 2008. Ms. Hartt also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and German (2001) from St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, and completed her Pre-Nursing coursework in 2007 at Truman College in Chicago. Ms. Hartt served in Kenya as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2002-2005, and it was during these 3 1/2 years of field experience teaching HIV prevention that she discovered her passion for community-based nursing. Since returning to the US Ms. Hartt has worked with severe mentally ill clients in a residential setting, and plans to one day become a leader among nurse practitioners in community health.
