Meet the 2022 scholarship recipients
The Washington State Nurses Foundation (WSNF) is pleased to announce the recipients of academic scholarships for the 2022 – 23 year. Each year, WSNF scholarships are given to well-qualified nursing students across Washington state who will soon be joining the profession or are pursuing graduate degrees in nursing. These funds are made available by generous donors who want to give back to the next generation of nurses and invest in the future of nursing.
In addition to general scholarships, WSNF names two designated scholars annually: the Dolores “Deo” Little Scholar and the Judy Huntington Scholar. These awards honor two past WSNA presidents and Hall of Fame inductees. This year, we were also able to award funds in honor of Verlee (Vee) Sutherlin. Vee recently retired from nursing, the WSNA Board of Directors, and the WSNF Board of Trustees.
In 2022, WSNF funded scholarships for four students totaling $20,000. Your donations helped these nursing students get closer to achieving their educational goals.
Since 1982, WSNF has depended on generous donors to generate funds that support the future of nursing through scholarships.
While the nursing workforce is aging, the cost to attend nursing programs continues to rise. Between 2008 and 2018, tuition and fees at community and technical colleges increased approximately 45%, while tuition and fees at four-year colleges and universities rose approximately 65%. This presents a significant barrier to prospective students seeking a career in nursing, and many students need financial assistance to attend these programs.
WSNF scholarships are given to well-qualified nursing students across Washington state who will soon be joining the profession or are pursuing graduate degrees in nursing. Many students live in rural communities near community colleges that do not have robust scholarship programs. Donations help ensure students from all corners of the state have access to scholarship dollars.
In addition to general scholarships, WSNF awards two designated scholarships annually. Scholarship applications open for applicants the first week of December and are awarded in the Spring.
Students in bachelor of science in nursing programs
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Jillian Menchaca
“It is an honor to be selected for the WSNF scholarship for exemplary academic standing and leadership. It is thanks to the amazing support provided by the WSNF that I will be able to continue my journey to become a nurse. This support will help relieve the financial burden and make it even more possible for me to achieve my dreams. This award is not only a blessing to myself, but it is an investment in the future community, as one day very soon, I will be able to pay it forward and help the community work towards gaining healthcare knowledge and provide compassionate healthcare to those that need it most.”
Jillian Menchaca is an associate nursing degree student at South Puget Sound Community College. Jillian is passionate about advocating for the disadvantaged. She expects to graduate in 2023. She is the Vee Sutherlin Scholar.
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Zoe Evans-Agnew
“This scholarship means that I will be able to take out fewer loans and be able to provide mental healthcare for communities I care about! I feel less stressed about pursuing my doctorate degree, and I am so thankful to the WSNF and donors who made this possible!”
Zoe Evans-Agnew graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in behavioral neuroscience. She is currently a student at Seattle University where she is working towards a doctor of nursing practice in psych-mental health. Zoe comes from a family of registered nurses. One of her goals is to become certified as a sexual assault nurse examiner. She expects to graduate in 2025. She was named the Deo Little Scholar for 2022.
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Ryan Willis
“I'm so thankful to be selected for this scholarship! These funds will allow me to further my education toward becoming a family nurse practitioner. I want to continue giving back to my community and educate my patients to achieve an optimum state of wellness.”
Ryan Willis earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from UW Bothell in 2016. He is now enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner Master's of Science in Nursing Program at Gonzaga University, where he expects to graduate in December 2022.
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Mackenzie Holloway
“I am so overwhelmed and elated with joy finding out that I have won the WSNF scholarship! Thank you so much! This will truly be instrumental in helping me with the cost of books, supplies, lab fees, and tuition. I am grateful your team took the time to read my essay! This scholarship assistance truly means the world to me. My goal is to work at rural clinics as an NP (nurse practitioner) when I graduate. I hope that I can do as much time at these clinics as I can while I am a student. I know and understand some of the commutes to Moses Lake and Wenatchee from Spokane can become expensive with gas, and so I am truly thankful that this scholarship money will ease that commute burden.”
Mackenzie Holloway earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Washington State University in 2015. She is now enrolled in their doctor of nursing program and expects to graduate in 2024. She was also named as the Judy Huntington Scholar for 2022.
There are many more nursing students in Washington state who need financial assistance.
If you would like to give back to the nursing profession and invest in the future of nursing, make a donation today.