“Scholarship program aimed at easing the financial burden of higher education for hometown healthcare heroes has extended its benevolence to six more Yavapai College nursing students.”
(The following is a press release from Yavapai Community College of February 3, 2023, authored by J.J. McCormick.)
The latest cohort of Community Healthcare Scholars celebrated their awards Jan. 25 in the Yavapai College Foundation offices on the YC Prescott Campus. The spring 2023 recipients of the lucrative scholarship are: Katie Anderson, Sada Hendricks, Hailey Mayhan, Shannon Mayotte, Ryan Urban and Peyton Velasco.
The Community Healthcare Scholarship program is made possible by a consortium of philanthropic organizations and healthcare business entities in partnership with the Yavapai College Foundation.
Motivated by his own financial struggles as a medical student, retired physician Dr. David Hess of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Prescott established the scholarship for deserving nursing and radiology technology students in 2012. To date, the program has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to nearly 200 students who, upon graduation, serve on the healthcare frontlines in Yavapai County.
Along with the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Prescott and the YC Foundation, Community Healthcare Scholarship partners are the Margaret T. Morris Foundation, Dignity Health/Yavapai Regional Medical Center, the Harold James Family Trust, Prescott Radiology Group and Fain Signature Group.
The newest Community Healthcare Scholars were elated with their awards.
“Receiving the Community Healthcare Scholarship is an incredible blessing,” said Sada. “As a single mother, the financial challenges of inflation have been particularly difficult and I was afraid that my dream of becoming a nurse was out of reach. I’m so grateful to the donors who made the scholarship possible. It’s a wonderful gift not only to the recipients but also to the community that will benefit from more nurses to provide care in our local facilities.”
Katie said she will be “forever grateful” to Community Healthcare Scholarship donors. “Not having to find the money to pay for school when you already have to scrimp and save to make ends meet is a huge relief,” she said.
As valuable as the financial assistance is the confidence boost the scholarship provides, Katie said. “This is a scary process and it’s easy to doubt my abilities, so it is nice to have the backing of all those that picked mine out of the stack of applications.”
For Hailey, a nursing assistant at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, the Community HealthCare Scholarship means she can work less, study more and better afford her daily commute from Prescott to nursing school at the YC Verde Valley Campus. “With this opportunity, I am able to work part time, and fulfill my placement in the nursing program without the financial stress,” she said.