Warren D. Ruff received great care and kindness from the nursing and medical staff at Boswell and Del W. Webb hospitals during the last decade of his life. Warren spent his retirement in the West Valley as a community leader, showing generosity with his time, friendship, and care for others.  To honor his legacy, Warren’s family established the Warren D. Ruff Scholarship Fund, which is held at Sun Health Foundation, for those looking to pursue or advance their nursing career. The fund has provided nearly $1,000,000 in tuition assistance since it was established in 2020.

Andrea C. is one of the recipients of the Fall 2023 Warren D. Ruff Scholarship and is pursuing a degree in nursing at Grand Canyon University. This semester, she started the nursing program, which she has wanted to enter she since was young. The program is intense but will provide Andrea with the knowledge and experience she will need once she graduates.

Scholarship is a huge benefit

Andrea has been working at La Loma Village, a Sun Health Community, as a server since July 2022, where she has had many positive experiences. While at work, she enjoys talking with the residents and she appreciates the great advice they share with her.

“Nursing school is not easy. I find myself stressed out already with the workload and studying,” Andrea said. “On top of that, I can’t imagine having to also stress about how I am going to pay for college. The tuition is large, but the Warren D. Ruff scholarship and other scholarships offered by Sun Health, take the financial pressure off.”

Not a burden

Andrea’s parents will be retiring soon, so the scholarship has been a blessing for them as well. Andrea says, “As their daughter, I would hate to put the burden on them. This scholarship just contributes to my internal peace and success in school. The scholarships have been a tremendous help to me as a student.”

Andrea can now focus on her studies and looks forward to the clinical rotations. She has long loved the beauty industry and was looking at going into medical aesthetics. But she says, “Recently, I have been looking into Pediatrics. After my nursing clinicals, I’ll have a better idea of what my focus will be after graduation.”

Applying for the Scholarship

The process to apply was straightforward. Andrea said, “Heather, the Scholarship Coordinator at Sun Health, made the process very easy.”

Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring 2024 offerings of the Warren D. Ruff Scholarship through October 20, 2023. For more information, visit SunHealthFoundation.org/Scholarships.

Do not miss the opportunity to apply!