Manatee Healthcare System Awards SCF Nursing Student $5,000 Scholarship

Manatee Healthcare System presented a $5,000 scholarship for excellence in nursing to a top nursing student at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF), May 5 at SCF’s Neel Performing Arts Center.

Vernon DeSear, vice president of Marketing for Manatee Healthcare System, presented the Excellence in Nursing Scholarship to Ashley Eickelman, a nursing student who exemplifies community spirit through her years of volunteering at Manatee Memorial Hospital before deciding to become a nurse.

DeSear said he first met Eickelman as a volunteer and that he was delighted to see she had decided to pursue a nursing career.

Eickelman began volunteering because she wanted to experience first-hand what nursing was all about. After volunteering in the labor and delivery unit as well as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, she immediately began her pre-requisite courses and was accepted into the nursing program in 2016. She has a 3.68 grade point average and plans to continue her studies beyond her Associate in Science degree.

“I have the privilege of seeing many of you as you’re making your rounds and learning,” DeSear said during the nurses pinning ceremony. “I am so proud of your commitment to caring for patients.”

DeSear said Manatee Healthcare System is proud of its partnership with SCF and the SCF Foundation. The healthcare corporation has provided student internships, scholarships and program funding. This year, the Manatee Memorial Hospital Excellence in Nursing Scholarship recognizes the accomplishments of “The Best SCF Nursing Student” residing in Manatee County.

For more information on the nursing program at SCF, visit scf.edu/nursing. For more information on
establishing scholarships, contact Allison Nash, scholarship coordinator, at nasha@scf.edu. For more information on Manatee Healthcare System, visit manateehealthcaresystem.com.