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Every Ģ������Ƶ pre-licensure nursing student is now receiving scholarship support through a new program established by $2.1 million from philanthropists William and Joanne Conway via their donor-assisted fund, the Bedford Falls Foundation.

The contributions represent the largest donation in the history of WCU’s College of Health and Human Sciences. With the gifts, including a $100,000 memorial donation after Joanne Conway’s death in January 2024, the School of Nursing is quadrupling the number of scholarships awarded annually.

The average annual award to recipients, known as Conway Scholars, is $2,000 for students in the traditional bachelor’s degree program and $1,250 for those in the accelerated track. The contributions, aimed at improving access to nursing education and addressing a nationwide nursing shortage, also provide resources to hire part-time and adjunct clinical faculty for enrollment expansion in Cullowhee and WCU’s Biltmore Park site in Asheville.

Inaugural Conway Scholars say the financial support allows them to focus on preparing for their futures as nurses and helping them avoid student loan debt.

Kristina Chrzanowski is using the scholarship to pursue her career goal of geriatric care. “The prospect of working with older adults, understanding their unique needs and making a meaningful impact in their lives fills me with immense excitement and purpose. There’s something incredibly rewarding about being able to provide compassionate care and support to a generation that has contributed so much wisdom and experience to our society,” said Chrzanowski, an Asheville resident.

Conway Scholar Isaac Quillen, a native of Whittier, is studying to become a nurse for underserved populations, like his own. “Growing up in Appalachia, I have developed a deep care for rural communities. These areas of the country and world offer so much to society, but they are often overlooked and not given the resources they desperately need. In the past few years, I have realized that caring for these rural communities is my life calling,” said Quillen.

For some recipients, the scholarship solidified their decision to study nursing — choices made because of personal health care experiences. Murphy resident Payton Palmer said she initially struggled with picking a major. “Around this time, my grandma, who I was very close to, suddenly got sick and required constant care. While helping take care of her, I discovered my passion for caring for people and helping them, which ultimately led me to my decision of nursing,” said Palmer, who aspires to become a nurse practitioner focusing on women’s health.

Childhood struggles with type 1 diabetes played a role in Cameron Shephard’s decision to become a nurse. “I spent a lot of time in the hospital as a child, so nursing was always on my radar, but part of me wondered if it would hit close to home. I now realize I can be that safe person for a little kid who is scared of their new diagnosis. I am pretty set on working in pediatrics for this reason,” said Shephard, a resident of Ridgeville, South Carolina.