The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have prevented the Miami County Medical Center attendant from hosting its annual volunteer lunch this summer, but she couldn’t stop the organization from offering again scholarships to local nursing students.
The Auxiliary MCMC was organized in 1956 and has awarded more than 130 scholarships, with the total amount of scholarships awarded over the past 20 years amounting to nearly $ 60,000, according to a press release.
The scholarships are awarded annually to one or more Miami County residents or an employee of the Miami County Medical Center. The scholarships are intended for nursing students only and are for one year only and are non-renewable. This year, the auxiliary awarded six scholarships in the amount of $ 1,000 each. The recipients were:
Kate magee
Kate Magee de Paola graduated from Paola High School in 2011. She studied cosmetology at Fort Scott Community College and worked as a cosmetologist. She is working hard to get her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is the mother of three children.
She has a letter of acceptance from the Director of Nursing at the Mary Grimes School of Nursing at Neosho County Community College, and she was accepted by the Ottawa campus to start in January 2022. She also has a letter of recommendation from Susan Gorman, Director of Student Development, Osawatomie, and Kelly Hamm, Director of Nursing, Chanute.
Taylor Rosner
Taylor Rosner de Paola graduated from Paola High School. She attended Fort Scott Community College and is currently a second semester student. This leaves her with second, third and fourth semesters of the nursing program.
She worked at Cascade Health Services as a CMA, CNA, and is working hard to get her RN registered. She has been active in HS volunteers and wishes to receive her BSN from KU. She has received letters of recommendation from Vickie Laderer, RN at Fort Scott Community College, and Brian Dennigan, RN / RT, at Medicalodges.
Callie schmidt
Callie Schmidt of Osawatomie graduated from Osawatomie High School. She attended Pittsburg State University for two years and received her minor in psychology.
She is currently working on obtaining her RN / BSN in Nursing. She is currently working at the Olathe Medical Center. After completing her studies, she plans to continue her journey in a hospital, possibly as a trauma nurse.
She attended Fort Scott Community College and Allen County Community College online. She also had a 4.0 GPA in high school. She worked at Vintage Park in Osawatomie and Sonic Drive-In in Osawatomie.
She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Kansas Honor Scholars, the Student Advisory Committee, and a class representative.
She has received letters of recommendation from Cow Palace and Olathe Medical Center.
Malia Czepcinski
Paola’s Malia Czepcinski graduated from Paola High School. She attended Fort Scott Community College, where she earned double credits during her middle and high school years, and is currently a full-time student at Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences at Rockhurst University. . She worked in the family business at We B Smokin ‘and is currently employed in St. Luke’s South as a PRN and also in the home health field.
She plans to get her BSN in May 2022 and work for Saint Luke’s or Olathe Medical Center. She hopes to get a job in the labor and delivery or neurology unit by the age of 21.
Gina Rocha
Gina Rocha de Paola is an LPN who will be attending Neosho County Community College.
She spent the first part of her professional life using her BFA degree as a graphic designer for Hallmark Cards for 15 years.
She then returned to LPN school in 2018 to pursue her other vocation in nursing to continue helping people. He has one year left.
She has been working in correctional nursing for a year and a half and would like to continue this effort at the RN level and use new skills.
She currently works at a Johnson County adult detention center. She is the sole provider of a family of four.
She juggled the responsibilities of a full-time job, motherhood and night school.
Rayleigh’s Towler
Paola’s Rayleigh Towler graduated from Paola High School 2019. She attended Emporia State University for two years and has two years of nursing education left. She is currently working as a CNA at the Good Samaritan Society in Olathe. She said she loved her residents, especially in geriatrics. She has taken many of his courses online and is working hard to raise funds for the university. In high school, she worked at Queen’s Price Chopper for three years and was a babysitter next door.
Her education includes Fort Scott Community College, CNA, and pre-nursing courses. In addition, she took pre-nursing courses at Butler County Community College and Flint Hills Technical College in addition to Emporia State. She would like to work in a hospital as a pediatric oncology nurse after earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing and also plans to pursue her master’s degree in nursing.
