Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Five southern Panhandle students, two with plans to become physical therapists, two planning to become nurses and another planning a career in laboratory science are the recipients of scholarships from the Kimball Hospital Foundation.
Ryan Muneio, Enrique Cajero and Damien Rutledge, all of Kimball, and Jared Westman of Gurley will each receive $1,500 awards from the Foundation’s Healthcare Career Scholarship Program. Leah Uhlir of Sidney will receive a $3,000 award.
This is the third year that Uhlir will receive a scholarship from the program. A 2012 graduate of Sidney High School, Uhlir is pursuing a human biology/pre-physical therapy degree at Chadron State College.
Muneio also plans a career in physical therapy/athletic training and will enroll at Midland University in Fremont this fall. Cajero and Rutledge both plan to enroll in nursing programs at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. Westman will study clinical laboratory science at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
The foundation’s Healthcare Career Scholarship Program is designed to encourage students living within a 40 mile radius of Kimball to pursue professions in healthcare. Successful applicants agree to work one year as a full-time employee of Kimball Health Services or another hospital in the Rural Nebraska Health Network (Alliance, Bridgeport, Chadron, Gordon, Oshkosh, Scottsbluff, Sidney) for each year of scholarship support.
“The scholarship committee had a good number of well-qualified applicants,” said Kerry Ferguson, director of the foundation. “We’re very glad to be able to help these students pursue their careers and look forward to working with them after they’ve met their educational goals.”
The foundation broadened the program last year to also reimburse Kimball Health Services staff for continuing education in their professional fields. This year, Laura Bateman will receive $2,000 toward a bachelor of science degree in nursing. Chellie Autrey and Katie Jo Madden, both members of the KHS Radiology staff, received $577 each toward becoming certified in computed tomography.
Funding for the scholarship program was made possible through fundraising efforts by the foundation, including golf tournaments, bowling tournaments, memorial gifts and proceeds from various foundation investments.