As the child of a parent with a chronic illness, Shanna Wall has dreamed of becoming a nurse for as long as she can remember. “My Father is a diabetic and I saw firsthand how his nurses interacted with him. There is an obvious correlation between their compassion and the patient’s quality of life,” reflects Shanna. Shanna recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Boston’s Northeastern University. In looking for the right program for her, Shanna made practical experience a top priority. “I chose Northeastern because I was attracted to the unique Co-Op program – all students are required to complete two 6-month full time work experiences.” Shanna credits her ability to attend a private university with the ongoing scholarship assistance she received through several funds that are part of Connecticut Community Foundation’s scholarship program. Among these funds, Shanna received particularly critical support from the Waterbury Women’s Club Scholarship Fund, which has provided scholarships to students pursuing nursing careers for over 20 years. “CCF invested a total of $8,500 in my tuition over four years. I come from a low-income family that had no means to support my college education, so the support from the Foundation was instrumental and essential,” explains Shanna. At Northeastern, Shanna developed both her nursing skills and her interest in women’s issues. During her college career, she worked at the Cardiac Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Mother/Infant Unit at Tufts Medical Center, and completed her senior practicum on the Labor and Delivery Unit at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. In addition to gaining work experience, Shanna was honored for her work on a research project involving how the use of smartphone technology might benefit Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) in their work with victims of sexual assault. Her diploma now in hand, Shanna hopes to work as a labor and delivery nurse in a Washington, D.C. area hospital and, eventually, to attend graduate school to become a nurse midwife. Shanna is grateful to the generous donors whose foresight and belief in students like her put her on a path toward realizing her dreams. Thanks to their support as well as her own passion for helping women and natural caring touch, Shanna looks forward to a rewarding nursing career, which will touch countless lives. Helping students realize their dreams – Timeless Impact.
