School of Nursing Celebrates 17th Annual Luncheon

School of Nursing Celebrates 17th Annual Luncheon

May 7, 2024, 5:00 PM

In April, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's School of Nursing (SON) celebrated its Scholarship and Awards Luncheon. This year marked the 17th year of the annual ceremony, which recognizes the shared achievements and aspirations of nursing scholarship recipients and their sponsors. Faculty and staff in the SON welcomed guests in the Illinois/Mississippi Room of the Morris University Center. The luncheon provided an opportunity for sponsors and students to connect and enjoy an afternoon recognizing their accomplishments.

Patti McDonald, senior director of development, welcomed guests at the opening of the ceremony. Following was Judy Liesveld, PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, CNE, FAAN, dean of the SON, who delivered remarks acknowledging the hard work of the student recipients and the generosity from scholarship partners who support them. Awards were presented by Becky Luebbert, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, associate dean.

A "Then and Now" portion of the ceremony was dedicated to reflections from the Class of '66-'70 cohort and featured Mary Anne Wehrle, BSN '66, an SIUE hall of famer and member of the first graduating class in the SON. Wehrke achieved the highest nursing position as the senior nurse executive for the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and served 33 years in the VA.

The ceremony also featured remarks from scholarship awardees Britney Wallace and Riley Hughes, who shared stories of gratitude from their personal and academic development while enrolled in the SON.

"During my first year in the program, I accepted a position as a graduate assistant to help set up and manage the anesthesia labs for all three cohorts," said Hughes, one of three recipients of the Dr. Jacquelyn M. Clement Scholarship in Nursing. "I held this position during both the fall and spring semester. If it were not for this position, I would have likely retained a nursing job outside of school to lessen the amount of loans I will ultimately borrow. I am equally grateful for similar opportunities such as this scholarship, as both opportunities have allowed me to remain focused on the program curriculum."

Wallace, who was one of two recipients of the Nursing Dean & Alumni Heritage Award Scholarship, touched on her experience being the child of immigrant parents.

"My father would always tell me that education is the way out of poverty," Wallace said. "This phrase has held weight with me to this very day. I have always admired the drive and passion my family members have had when it came to opportunities. If there was an opportunity that presented itself to better our life- the Wallaces always found a way to take it."

Wallace described how the theme of the luncheon, Accomplishments and Aspirations, related to her own personal journey for growth. She only considered nursing as a career path after arriving at SIUE.

"I have had many eye-opening moments on the reality of healthcare, and we are not where we need to be," exclaimed Wallace. "I want to be a nurse to help close the gap. I want to provide safe, equitable and open-minded care. I envision a hospital where individuals, regardless of background, feel welcomed and assured of exceptional care."

Awardees for the 17th Annual Scholarship and Award Luncheon are listed below.

Nursing Dean & Alumni Heritage Award Scholarship
Britney Wallace
Lauren Wernle

Nursing Gems of 2009 Award
Brent Daniel Stalcup

Outstanding Student in Nursing Award
Olivia Currington

Pearl Morgan Memorial Award in Pediatric Nursing & Pre-Clinical Nursing Scholarship
Breanne Smallberger

Rita E. Boyd Scholarship in Nursing
Dominique Clemons

Saundra & Peter Spilotro Scholarship
Heather Snook

School of Nursing General Scholarship
Melanie Kantzioris
Amberlyn Kapusta
Jimisha Wilder

Stacy Jo Probst Memorial Nursing Award
Emma Neuman

The Winston Family Scholarship for Nursing (SNAP)
Ciaunna McCoy
Isabel Patten

Class of '66-'70 Nursing Alumni Heritage Scholarship
Dareen Mahmoud
Cayla Wilderman

Ann Heiden Wharton Memorial Nursing Award
Faith O'Dell

Dean Laura Bernaix Leadership in Nursing Scholarship
Amy Pattan
Carissa Skaggs

Dr. Jacquelyn M. Clement Scholarship in Nursing
Kelli Fieri
Abdi Hassan
Riley Hughes

James M. & Corinne Comrie Scholarship
Mykenzie McCulloch

Louise Corlew, BSN '75 Scholarship
Malcolm Miller

Honoring the Past Empowering the Future School of Nursing Scholarship
Malaina Peters
Kennedy Travis
Lucia Botella Vian

Sandra, Jeanne MacDonald Crome & Roberta Lee MacDonald Dial, Memorial RN, BS Award
McKenzie Marie Widel

Scholarship for Excellence
Sawyer Althoff
Madison Blake
Colin McLaren
Olivia Morgan
Hayden Pierce
Hailey Reynolds

Shirley Strohmeyer Memorial Nursing Award
Margaret Elaine Holthaus

SIUE School of Nursing Faculty Pay It Forward Scholarships
Kania Ferrell
Maggie Muskopf
Ellie Elfrink

SIUE Student Nurses Association Scholarship
Nathan Burrell
Grace Nolte
Kennadee Stilson
Madison Mersinger
Tiffany Webb

Stahlschmidt Family Legacy Scholarship
Anozha Singletary
Maria Vahling

Cecil Howard Griffin, Florence Bowmaster Griffin & Dr. Anne Perry Scholarship
Adrienne B. Logsdon
Luke Joseph Robinson

Alta Gracia Meyers Scholarship
Grace Eileen Rawe
Mallory Westrick

Anthony Oliver & Felissa Lashley Award in Nursing
Rachel Arcilla

Chancellor Sam Goldman Scholarship for Nursing Excellence
Kylie Smith

Dr. Gloria Perry Gradate Nursing Excellence Award
Kayla A. Pryor

Emily Craddock Coyne, RN, Memorial Scholarship in Nursing
Alanis Cameron
Alyssa Miklik
Kiley Winfree

John and Marguerite Crump Memorial Scholarship in Nursing
Kania Ferrell

Janice M. Bloomfield Memorial Nursing Student Scholarship
Naomi Russell

Lucille Helwig Memorial Scholarship
Alexandria Jones

While all the ceremony participants expressed immense gratitude, Hughes spoke to the scholarship donors and SON with a conviction that permeated the audience.

"To the donors who make this day possible for nursing students like myself, thank you again for your support of SIUE students and our education. As tomorrow's nurses, we continue to work toward our goals," Hughes said.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing aspires to be a premier institution for nursing education, recognized for developing a diverse nursing workforce and advancing health equity in an evolving healthcare landscape. The School educates, empowers and engages learners to achieve excellence and inclusivity in nursing education, practice and service.

PHOTOS: (top-down) Dean Liesveld, Mary Anne Wehrle, Britney Wallace, Riley Hughes