Franciscan Health Auxiliary Lafayette awards annual scholarship
On Dec. 4, the Franciscan Health Auxiliary Lafayette awarded scholarships to the following St. Elizabeth School of Nursing students: Caley Bender, Madison Hanson, Lexi Koop and Dana Rainwater. All four nursing students were named recipients of the Washburn Scholarship for $3,000.
Established in 1968, funding for the scholarship came from the Washburn Health Careers Fund, which was created in honor of Mary B. Washburn, a long-time volunteer of the Lafayette Auxiliary.
To qualify for the scholarship, one must be a student at the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, be within one calendar year of graduation, have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate financial need. Funding for the scholarship comes from a variety of activities and sales sponsored by the Auxiliary, as well as donations from Auxiliary members and the community.
Bender is from Lafayette, Ind. She is graduating in December 2019. After graduation, she wants to work in a Cardiac Cath lab. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing will actually be her second bachelor’s degree. Her first is radiologic imaging and she is currently a CAT scan technologist. She is very thankful for her family and their supporting her dreams, choice to return to school and for “encouraging me during this journey!” she said.
Hanson is from Covington, Ind. She graduated in December 2018. After graduation, she will be a missionary nurse in Honduras and upon her return to the U.S. she will be working in the Emergency Department. She is the daughter of Chad and Jessica Hanson.
“In addition to developing skills, knowledge, and friendships, my experiences at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing have cultivated a strong aspiration for helping the underserved. This past Spring break I was selected and given the honor to participate in a medical mission trip to Haiti with six of my classmates. Through donations, we were able to provide supplies and goods to help those in need. Putting your own hands to work creates a deeper sense of serving. You get to see and feel the results of your efforts immediately. These specific experiences I gained through nursing school sparked a passion to pursue mission work,” said Hanson
Koop is from Lake in the Hills, Ill. She is currently finishing the first semester of her senior year. The next step for her is to go to graduate school and eventually become a nurse practitioner in mental health. Once she graduates here, she hopes to become an ICU nurse but would also enjoy working on a medical surgical floor or post-surgical/neuro floor. Another goal of hers is to one day become a nurse anesthetist.
Rainwater is from Boswell, Ind. She is in the first semester of her third year of school. She hopes to work in Med/Surg, NICU or Wound Care after graduation. Her mother and sister were both graduates of St Elizabeth School of Nursing. Her sister is a hospice nurse for Franciscan Hospice Care and her mother was an instructor at the school.
The St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, in cooperation with the University of Saint Francis offers a seamless integrated diploma and bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) curriculum that prepares graduates to become eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN).
After passing the national licensing examination, St. Elizabeth School of Nursing graduates may practice as registered nurses.
Left to right, Caley Bender, Madison Hanson, Lexi Koop and Dana Rainwater.
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