Nebraska Hospital Awards $18,750 to 20 Future Nurses

Twenty students across Nebraska are one step closer to careers saving lives, thanks to scholarships totaling $18,750 from CHI Health Good Samaritan Foundation.

The annual Good Samaritan Health Care Scholarships Program awarded funds to students from small towns like Elm Creek, Ravenna, and Broken Bow, as well as larger communities including Kearney and Grand Island. These future nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, and radiology technicians will use the funds to pursue their healthcare education.

Students like Faith McDonald from Rockville and Hope Pickel from Elm Creek received multiple awards, showing the program's commitment to supporting dedicated students throughout their education. Others, including Evan Shaffer and Grace Softley, earned scholarships bearing the names of generous community donors who believe in growing Nebraska's healthcare workforce.

The Ripple Effect

The scholarships represent more than financial support. They're an investment in rural healthcare, where access to medical professionals can mean the difference between life and death for small communities.

Since the program launched in 1989, it has awarded $367,391 to 512 students pursuing healthcare careers. That's 512 professionals who may staff emergency rooms, deliver babies, respond to 911 calls, or care for aging parents across Nebraska's heartland.

Foundation board members carefully reviewed applications submitted by the April 1 deadline, selecting recipients based on their commitment to healthcare careers. The entire program runs on donations from community members who understand that today's scholarship recipient becomes tomorrow's healthcare hero.

Every endowed scholarship, from the Bernard Haag Nursing Scholarship to the Ron & Carol Cope Healthcare Scholarship, carries the name of someone who cared enough to invest in strangers' futures. Their generosity creates a cycle where supported students eventually support their own communities.

These 20 students are proof that investing in education means investing in hope.