Notes from scholarship recipients

“I would like to start off by expressing my most sincere gratitude for granting me the UCHealth Memorial Foundation Mary C. Morningwake Nursing Scholarship. Thank you for this incredible opportunity in supporting me with my nursing journey to further not only my personal and professional development, but my biggest dream. This scholarship will be an incredible help not only to myself, but to my mother as well. She is my biggest advocate and primary financial support system. She has made every semester achievable for me as I continue to work and attend school full time. I cannot express enough how utterly thankful and appreciative I am to be able to continue learning and growing my knowledge at UCHealth. I have found this to be an eye opener for the six years I have dedicated to being a CNA, and in that time, I have gained a lot of experience through my interactions with patients and fellow staff members all throughout the hospital. I owe so much to UCHealth, not just professionally, but personally as well. I am excited to further my career in health care by being able to graduate with my degree in nursing, and to also be able to further my education, and continue striving to fulfill my goals. I want to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for helping to support me in my nursing development, advancing my career in health care, but most of all believing in me and granting me with this incredible opportunity.”

“I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the generous scholarship I received. As we all know working full-time and going to school full-time can create a lot of stress. Receiving this scholarship to help fund my education alleviates a major stress of how I am going to pay for my education. I am grateful to the Foundation for making this opportunity possible. “

“Dear UCHealth Memorial Foundation Donors,

I am writing this letter to you to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for making the Excellence in Nursing scholarship possible. I was in disbelief when I read that you have selected me for this honor and I am beyond appreciative of your support in my pursuit of my BSN.

I am a junior at Colorado State University in Pueblo and have been paying for my degree out of pocket. The assistance that you are providing me will help me immensely in paying my expenses and will allow me to concentrate on furthering my education. When I was interviewed for this honor, I shared a brief story about the reason I am pursuing this degree with the board. I wanted to also share that story with you.

When I was 5 years old, my Grandpa and I walked through the front door of Beth-El Nursing School (before it was part of UCCS) and into a classroom full of students listening to a lecture. He didn’t know what was on the other side of the door, he just walked through it. The Professor stopped mid-sentence and asked him if he was lost. He calmly replied, “No ma’am. My Granddaughter said she wants to be a nurse when she grows up and I just want her to see what it’s like. She will be a nurse one day and I am hoping that by bringing her here, she will see that she can be whatever she wants to be and no one can stop her. I want her to be inspired by all of these women in this room.” And then something magical happened, all of the nursing students looked at me, smiled, and then began to clap and cheer for me and my Grandpa. We were allowed to sit in that classroom for the rest of the lecture and when it was over, that Professor gave me a nurse’s cap. I later painted a Red Cross on that cap with my Grandma’s favorite red nail polish. The point of this story is that he did this because I told him that I wanted to be a nurse, and he didn’t care what anyone thought about him when he walked into that classroom with me. It was 1977.

Fast forward to 2022, and here I am finally making that dream come true. Granted, I waited until later in life to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a nurse, but I am pursuing it nonetheless. My Grandparents passed away before I was accepted into the nursing program, but they did watch me work my way through all of the prerequisites to get here. I know in my heart that they are watching over me, (maybe had a hand in answering a few prayers) and are still cheering me on.

So, again, thank you so very much for your generosity and support. I will remain dedicated to my degree pursuit, give back to my community, inspire others, and continue to make you, my family, and UCHealth proud.”

“Nursing Scholarship Donors, 

I am writing to tell you how thankful I am for making the UCHealth Memorial Foundation Nursing Scholarship possible. I’ve been a part-time student for the last ten years working towards getting accepted into nursing school. Getting to this point was not easy, but I never gave up. I am unbelievably honored by your support in helping me achieve my goals. 

I’ve been a certified nursing assistant for the last 12 years with experience in long-term care, inpatient behavioral/mental health, and surgical trauma. I currently work as a surgical coordinator with the UCHealth invasive scheduling team. The decision to switch came after working through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was a challenging time for anyone working in healthcare, but I never wavered from my desire to serve others. Unfortunately, I could only take one to two classes a semester while going through my prerequisites for the nursing program due to the financial burden and stressors of life. For one of my nursing school applications, I camped outside the school for 14 hours in 32-degree weather just for the opportunity to get accepted. I assure you that I am committed to making this dream a reality. 

You have lightened my financial burden by awarding me the UCHealth Memorial Foundation Nursing Scholarship. The nursing program is fundamental in molding me to become the best nurse I can be. One day I hope I’ll be able to help nursing students achieve their goals just as you have helped me. I will never be able to truly express my gratitude for what you have done for me. Thank you.”

“I wanted to take a moment to state how grateful I am to be the recipient of the UCHealth Memorial Foundation’s generous nursing scholarship. I realize how vital these funds are to improving the lives of our patients, and please trust that I will honor the foundation’s principles, translated through the delivery of robust patient care. It is so unique that this scholarship, funded through my colleagues, community, and organization, makes it so much more honored that you saw something in me.  

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedule to allow me to share my professional experiences and my educational goals.  Receiving this scholarship will enable me to have the ability to reach my professional goals and aspirations faster, which will translate to my ability to touch more lives in the process. It has always been my dream to be an advanced practice nurse, and through the opportunity, you have provided, I will achieve my goals. With each course I complete at my University, I always find myself sharing what I have learned with others. In a way, receiving an education allows me to reach my goals and makes me a stronger preceptor to nurture the talent of others in our Emergency Department and for my personal growth and development. 

Thank you again for this opportunity, and I promise to continue with my educational journey and position with a special place in my heart for what you have given me. This opportunity is a prime example of how working for UCHealth can allow one to live extraordinarily.”

“I am writing to express my gratitude for your kindness and belief in me. Your Scholarship gift will assist me in my journey to becoming a nurse. I am truly grateful to work for an organization that invests in their team. I hope to serve my community as a caregiver and one day give back to the profession by mentoring others just as so many uchealth care givers have done for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“I am grateful, blessed and honored to receive this scholarship, thank you for believing in me and making a huge impact in my dream. This scholarship has been tremendous help and backbone for me. It has helped me to be successful and get the work done. The amount of encouragement and confidence that it gives me is life changing. I am not sure if I can ever thank you enough but I will be sure to make you proud. God Bless you all and thank you for believing and trusting in my success! “

“Dear Donors,

​​Thank you for your continued support in the UCHealth Memorial Foundation Nursing Scholarship. As a new recipient I am very grateful to receive this scholarship.  

​ ​I have been working towards nursing school for a while and am glad to say I am finally in the last year of my program. Scholarships like this one are what make furthering my education a possibility. I currently attend Nightingale College as a High Honors Student in the Bachelor of Nursing program and am thankful to be on my last stretch.  

​​ I am very grateful to be receiving this scholarship and thank you again for your continued support. I plan on continuing with UCHealth, and hope to become a donor myself one day. “