Two Nursing Students Receive Scholarships

Two nursing students from Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus have been awarded the 2014-2015 Palm Desert-Indian Wells Women’s Club scholarship.

Marzena Richardson of Palm Springs and Amanda Wilson of Joshua Tree were recognized for their dedication and determination to give back to their communities. They were honored by the Palm Desert-Indian Wells Women’s Club, which was first organized in 1949. Its members are active in charitable ventures as well as professional and social activities across the Coachella Valley.

“All of our endeavors go toward raising funds to assist these wonderful women,” said current president, Carole Williams. “We are so very proud of our scholarship recipients, and are pleased to honor their accomplishments.”

Richardson is a wife and mother, originally from Poland. She came to the United States about 11 years ago as a high school exchange student. It was supposed to be a one year experience, but she says it turned out to be her life experience.

Richardson says she has many areas of interest, but what she would like to do most is help people and become a labor and delivery nurse. English is her second language and because of this, she says she has to work much harder to achieve her goals and become a valuable part of her community.

Richardson volunteers for many campus events. She is the activity coordinator for the Coyote Nurses of the Desert and reaches out to many local organizations that are looking for help with events.

In the last few years, she has volunteered at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and Martha’s Village Kitchen. Recently, as an officer in Coyote Nurses, she helped in events like Flying Doctors, American Heart Association walks and healthcare fairs held on campus and in the area.

One of Richardson’s professors said, “Marzena is an eager learner and actively participates in classroom discussions. She comes to class prepared to discuss the topics of the day, which is an indication of her work ethic and her commitment to the profession.”

Wilson is the first in her family to attend college and earn a bachelor’s degree. She currently works as a licensed vocational nurse for Angel View, a foundation for developmentally disabled persons in Joshua Tree. She plans to graduate from the Palm Desert Campus in 2015 and start working as a registered nurse. She says this will allow her to give back to the community by providing quality nursing care to those who are in need. She also plans to continue her education by obtaining her master’s degree in community health nursing.

Throughout her college experience, Wilson has had many volunteer opportunities. One of them is volunteering for the Hi-Desert Crisis Clinic, where she assisted women with unplanned pregnancies. In supporting these women with decisions about pregnancy, she provided information about other available community resources, such as WIC.

She has also volunteered at the local animal shelter and Reach Out Morongo Basin, which provides services to seniors in the community. She is currently involved with Coyote Nurses of the Desert, which provides her an opportunity to give back to the community while attending school.

One of Wilson’s professors said, “I have found Amanda to be self-directed, focused, detail-oriented and very organized. She is very receptive to constructive criticism and demonstrates consistent performance improvement. Her calm mannerism and compassion has been very reassuring to her patients. She is very excited about joining the nursing profession and uses every learning opportunity to expend her knowledge.”

--Information provided by CSUSB Palm Desert Campus