SURPRISE, ARIZ., Sept. 27, 2018 – Shaelynn Faix feels like she has a new family at Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City, one that has her back.
It’s a new feeling for the 20 something who works as a barista and a cafeteria cashier at the medical center. She grew up with a single mother who struggled with addiction. By the time she turned 15, Shaelynn was on her own, fending for herself.
With the support of coworkers and a scholarship from Sun Health Foundation, she’s now on the road to becoming a nurse, a career she’s dreamt about for years.
A $2,000 nursing scholarship provided by Sun Health Foundation donors is helping her edge closer to that dream. She’s in her third year of the Maricopa Community College District’s Concurrent Enrollment Associate-Baccalaureate Nursing Programs offered at Glendale Community College in cooperation with Ottawa University.
“I’ve known I wanted to be a nurse since I was 13,” she said. “But I didn’t know how I could afford to go to school.”
She’s not alone. Thanks to community support, Sun Health Foundation recently gave $90,000 in scholarship funds to nurses and aspiring nurses at Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers to help them achieve their educational goals. A total of 25 Banner Boswell employees, including Shaelynn, and 20 Banner Del E. Webb employees each received a $2,000 scholarship.
A Scholarship Selection Committee, made up of nurses and non-nurses from both facilities, reviews the applications and determines the awardees. Sun Health Foundation hosts a reception to recognize the scholarship winners.
Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Sun City West has contributed to the nursing scholarship fund for more than a decade. “We know how important nurses are for the health of the community,” says Barr Spellman, who serves on the church’s foundation board. Mr. Spellman is a firm believer in education and holds several degrees that prove it. “I’m always impressed with people who are working and going to school. We’re happy to help them.”
Sun Health Foundation donors have funded scholarships for nursing students dating to 1980 when Mesa Community College established a nursing education program on the Boswell Memorial Hospital campus. Today, Grand Canyon University Nursing School runs a satellite program near Banner Boswell.
About Sun Health Foundation
For more than 50 years, Sun Health Foundation has been a nonprofit philanthropic champion of superior health care and wellness services in the West Valley. The Foundation is the exclusive philanthropic partner to the Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers, and Banner Sun Health Research Institute. Learn more at www.sunhealthfoundation.org.
