Local Students Receive Healthcare Scholarships

posted on Friday, July 8, 2022 in General

Six local students pursuing healthcare careers recently were awarded educational funding through programs administered by Spencer Hospital.

Scholarship recipients of the Bennie B. and Ernestine F. Shine Scholarship were Molly Lovin, Jodi Bents, Haley Bouse, Jordyn Broek, Nicole McLaughlin, and Ashton Wooten.

Molly Lovin is pursuing her Masters in Nursing Education from Robert Morris University. “My love for teaching others pushed me to pursue my Masters in Nursing Education,” Molly said. “Investing in education for new and veteran nurses can help with retention, increase nursing skills, knowledge and satisfaction. All these things can help our ultimate goal which is to ensure we are giving the best care for our community."

Jodi Bents is enrolled at Iowa Lakes Community College in the Nursing program. Jodi currently works at Spencer Hospital as a surgical technologist. She commented, “During these past three years I had worked with many amazing nurses who have inspired me to want to be just like them. That is why I want to further my education to become a nurse.’

Haley Bouse is studying speech and language pathology at the University of Iowa. “I want to pursue a career with people who value communication and improving quality of life,” she commented while explaining her career goals.

Jordyn Broek is enrolled in the physical therapy program at University of South Dakota. When working as a home care aide, Jordyn assisted a young girl with cerebral palsy. “It was working with her that I discovered how impactful simply serving someone can be,” she said. “I value playing a small role in helping someone else achieve goals they never thought they could.”

Nicole McLaughlin is working towards her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree from University of Iowa. She commented, “I hope to expand my knowledge and scope of practice to that of a nurse practitioner. I would love to work in a family practice clinic or a women’s health clinic in the future.”

Ashton Wooten is enrolled in the pharmacy program at South Dakota State. Ashton enjoyed a job shadowing experience at Spencer Hospital’s pharmacy. He remarked, “I love the healthcare field as well as interacting with the community. With pharmacy, I can do both of those.”

Additionally, Karenna Hoben was awarded the Adam J. Anderson Scholarship, a fund especially created to assist students training to become paramedics or EMTs. Karenna’s overall goal is to become a physician assistant and she is enrolled at the University of Iowa for fall classes. This summer she is working in Spencer Hospital’s emergency department as a technician and is enrolled in the EMT course at Iowa Lakes.

The Shine scholarship fund annually awards dollars to students who have completed at least one semester of a nursing or allied health program. Ben Shine was a long-time trustee of the Spencer Hospital Board. His wife, Ernestine, was active in the hospital auxiliary and served as president of that organization. The Shines recognized the importance of quality health care for their community and were actively involved in supporting excellence in local healthcare.

The Adam J. Anderson Scholarship was created in memory of Adam who volunteered for the Terril ambulance crew and also worked as an EMT for Spencer Hospital. Cancer claimed Adam’s life prior to him achieving his dream of becoming a paramedic.

More information on these healthcare scholarship programs as well as the low-interest Cornwall Loan Program, is available at www.SpencerHospital.org.