UH Nursing awards 13 scholarships to veterans pursuing degrees in higher education

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Desiree Uyeda, (808) 956-2904
Marketing Manager, Nursing
Posted: Nov 9, 2016

Student veterans with Dean Boland, Senator Hirono, President Lassner and Jared Lyon.
Student veterans with Dean Boland, Senator Hirono, President Lassner and Jared Lyon.

UH Mānoa Nursing hosted the 2016 Veterans Day Celebration on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at Hawaii Hall Lawn on campus.  Purpose of the event was to honor all veterans and recognize 13 student veterans who received scholarships to purse higher education.

The UH Mānoa Nursing Veterans  to BSN Program provides college credit for veteran’s past medical experience, creating a quick pathway to professional nursing and employment for service members with skills and experience in health care. The initiative is the first program of its kind in Hawaiʻi and is part of the national effort to address the growing demand for health-care services throughout our nation.

Said U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, who attended the event, “The University of Hawaii and the Veterans to Nurses Program have been vital partners in our veterans’ transitions from military to civilian life. There is widespread support for these kinds of programs and I will continue to push for them.”

In addition to academic advising and social support, the Veterans to BSN Program received funding from the May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust to provide 12 scholarships to student veterans pursuing careers in nursing.  Student veterans received between $2,500 to $5,000 to further their nursing education at UH Mānoa, Kapiʻolani Community College, Kauaʻi Community College and Maui College. The Shelley Wilson Nursing Scholarship for Veterans supported one Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student veteran enrolled at UH Mānoa. Scholarship recipients from all four UH campus attended the event.

Said UH Mānoa Nursing Dean Mary G. Boland, DrPH, RN, FAAN, “UH Mānoa Nursing is proud to be one of 20 schools of nursing and the only program in Hawaiʻi to participate in this national initiative. Veterans are a vital community asset and we are fully committed to providing them with excellent nursing education.”

Added Veterans to BSN Program Principal Investigator Debra Mark, PhD, RN, FAAN, “Veterans face a variety of challenges when returning to school. These scholarships will help to reduce the financial burden so they can focus on succeeding in school. We are very pleased that we were able to support veteran students pursing nursing careers on Oʻahu as well as Maui and Kauaʻi.”

The celebration included Posting of Colors by the UH Mānoa Army ROTC Color Guard and singing of the National Anthem and State Song by UH Mānoa students. A moment of silence to remember the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in times of war was followed by remarks from U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, UH Mānoa Nursing Dean Mary G. Boland, UH System President and UH Mānoa Interim Chancellor David Lassner. Keynote speaker was Jared Lyon, president and CEO of Student Veterans of America. The celebration was followed by a cake reception honoring the U.S Marine Corps 241st birthday on November 10.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program and the national presidential initiative, Joining Forces. UH Mānoa Nursing is a partner in the Veterans Administration Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) and the Jonas Scholarship Program.

This event was supported by the UH Mānoa Nursing Achieving a BS in Nursing - A Veterans’ Initiative Program and the UH Mānoa Student Activity & Program Fee Board. Special thanks to the May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, the Shelley Wilson Nursing Scholarship for Veterans and Dr. Lawrence K.W. Tseu for supporting nursing student veteran scholarships.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant no. UF1HP26981. For more information about the Veterans to Nurses program, visit www.nursing.hawaii.edu/vetstonurses.

Photos from the event can be viewed online: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uhmanoa/albums/72157672702485083/with/30251319533/.

About UH Mānoa Nursing

UH Mānoa Nursing, the Nursing Capitol of the Pacific, is the leader in nursing education and research in Hawai‘i with outreach to Asia and the Pacific Basin. We support the mission of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa: to provide an innovative, caring and multicultural environment in which faculty, students and staff work together to generate and transmit knowledge, wisdom, and values to promote quality of life and health for present and future generations. The school offers the BS, master’s, and doctoral programs. To reflect Hawai‘i's unique cultural diversity and heritage, UH Mānoa Nursing is committed to increasing the representation of Native Hawaiian and other underserved people in all nursing programs. Visit us at www.nursing.hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: www.nursing.hawaii.edu/vetstonurses