By MATT PIKE
The second class of the Nursing Scholars Promise program, collaborating Missouri Western State University with Mosaic Life Care have officially signed their agreements to begin next school year.
After the inaugural class last year had a dozen sign into the program, this years class saw 15 students from around the region make a commitment to work for Mosaic, while getting their nursing education at MoWest.
Students in the program will receive help from MoWest and Mosaic covering the cost of three of the four years in the Nursing program. The student will receive full support for the first and final year of college. Years two and three will be covered at 50%.
Nursing Department Chair Dr. Heather Kendall says with the ability to also add on other scholarships, the program helps make it likely students can graduate without any student debt.
“And to be able to start their life, start their career without student loan payments is going to be huge for them,” Kendall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “They really get to start their life off on the right foot and not have college debt to worry about in the process.”
Kendall says to see the class grow from a dozen to 15 students is exciting for the growth of the program.
“We’re very excited to have this group of high academic achievers in this group, going from 12 to 15 that’s going to be a big group of students that are coming into our program in the next couple of years, and we’re expecting big things from them,” Kendall explains.
Part of the requirement to be a part of the program is that the student lives in the Mosaic service area, and they are committed to work and stay in the area while they go to school.
Abby Huff from St. Joseph Central High School realized while she was part of the CNA program at Hillyard Technical, the career was something she wanted to do for her entire life, and says the program is an exciting opportunity, largely because of how much nursing school can cost.
“It’s very challenging and hard, and knowing that financial burden is becoming a lift off of this, is very helpful knowing I can just focus on my education rather than the finances,” Huff says.
And being able to stay close to home to get her education, as well as work on her career, is also special to Huff because of her closeness with her family.
“I’m really close with my friends, so I’m very excited to stay at home with my mom, where she also works through Mosaic, so it’s very nice to have some family also in Mosaic,” Huff explains.
Jennifer Velasquez from Savannah High School also signed onto the program. Velasquez says she was excited about the opportunity.
“Every single part of it that it has to bring just makes me excited for my future, just because it gives me opportunity to become the nurse that I really want to be in whatever field that life brings me to,” Velasquez says.
Velasquez says that all through her life being asked what she wanted to be when she grows up, or what super power she would want to have, her answer was always a doctor, or to have the power to heal people. And through this program she’s excited to be able to in the future, provide that to her community by working at Mosaic
“It really does mean a lot just knowing that as soon as I graduate I have a potential job working at a place that I planned to work anyways,” Velasquez explains. “So, it means the world to me just knowing that I will care for those who live in my community, those who need me, and just those who I can be there for.”
The 15 area students were selected from about 50 applicants to the program.
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