Scholarships change lives. Director of Development for Mennonite College of Nursing Jenny Ward knows firsthand how scholarships make a difference, not only for the students but also for the donors who establish them.
“Our donors are passionate about nursing because often they have experienced firsthand the difference a nurse has made in their lives or the lives of those they love,” Ward said. “We take great care to match the criteria and spirit of each scholarship with a nursing student who reflects the intent of the scholarship. Scholarship donors or family members of surviving donors have the opportunity to meet student recipients at the annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet in the fall.”
This past September, the MCN scholarship banquet had a record turnout with more than 140 donors, students, and guests in attendance.
“We were thrilled to present 10 new scholarships and awards this year,” said Ward. “We are also grateful that the John Lawrence Family endowed the Winifred G. Lawrence Memorial Scholarship this year. By endowing this scholarship, it is now known as the Winifred B. Lawrence Endowed Memorial Scholarship and will be awarded every year in perpetuity.”
Several of the new scholarships are fully endowed. MCN was honored as Illinois State University Trustee Betty Kinser and her family created the Betty & Ron Kinser Endowed Scholarship. MCN’s Strategy and Planning Council members Billy Adkisson and his wife, Ellen Bourne, and Margaret Randolph endowed scholarships. MCN alumnae Phyllis Schieber ’54, and friends of Bobbie McCambridge also created newly endowed scholarships.
Other new scholarships for the 2014–2015 year include a scholarship honoring MCN Distinguished Alumnae Elfrieda Landes Ramseyer ’58 and the DLR Group. Family and friends of Eunice Beetzel ’40 and Irene Wey ’53 also chose to remember their loved ones who recently passed away through scholarship support.
Longtime friend of the college Linda Sorrells established an emergency fund to help students who have unexpected needs during the course of the academic year to honor the loving and giving spirit of Sorrells’ parents and aunt.
MCN is grateful for all of the scholarships and awards that have been established to help support a phenomenal group of nursing students, who will be caring for us all in the future! Here are the new scholarships and awards profiles:
- Adkisson-Bourne Endowed Scholarship
- Eunice Beetzel ’40 Scholarship
- DLR Scholarship
- Betty and Ron Kinser Endowed Scholarship for Nursing Students
- Bobbie McCambridge Endowed Nursing Scholarship
- Elfrieda Landes Ramseyer ’58 Scholarship
- Margaret Randolph Endowed Scholarship in Nursing
- Phyllis Schieber ’54 Endowed Scholarship
- Rolla and Christine Six Sorrells and Sylvan Six Emergency Fund
- Irene M. (Schieber) Wey ’53 Scholarship
For more information about changing lives through a scholarship, please contact Jenny Ward at (309) 438-7178.
The slideshow features the donors and student recipients for the new scholarships for 2014–2015 at the MCN Scholarship and Awards Banquet. To see all the pictures from the banquet, visit the MCN Flickr page.
