The Drew Memorial Health System Auxiliary recently presented University of Arkansas at Monticello administrators with a donation that funds nursing scholarships for four UAM students.
Nursing students Kaylee Barnard, Jessee Brixie and Mikayla McGregor, all of Monticello, and Alondra Cruz of Hamburg, will each receive a $1,000 award, according to a news release.
Barnard, Cruz and McGregor are senior nursing majors on the Monticello campus, pursuing Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. Brixie is a practical nursing student at the UAM College of Technology at McGehee.
The auxiliary traditionally grants two scholarships per year. They offered additional student awards this year due to the availability of scholarship funds and the demonstrated excellence of the student applicants, according to the release.
Students pursuing a degree in nursing or medicine with at least a 2.5 GPA are eligible to apply for the award each spring semester through the Drew Memorial website, drewmemorial.org.
Auxiliary members also support hospital activities and health education. The group is comprised of about 25 members who serve Drew Memorial through various on- and off-site volunteer roles in addition to facilitating major fundraising campaigns.
The auxiliary has raised $15,000 in 2021 alone for the hospital, and they expect to meet their annual average of $30,000 in hospital donations by the end of the year. The organization is a member of the Arkansas Hospital Auxiliaries Association.
The UAM School of Nursing at Monticello offers Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, licensed practical nurse-to-registered nurse and registered nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs and has plans to announce expanded offerings in the near future.
The UAM Colleges of Technology at McGehee and Crossett both provide licensed practical nurse programs. Each UAM campus partners with numerous hospital and clinic sites, according to the release.