Doctoral Nursing Student Wins National AANP Scholarship

A USF College of Nursing student studying to earn a doctorate in nursing practice has received a prestigious national scholarship from the professional organization for nurse practitioners.

Crystal Williams will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship next semester which will go toward tuition costs in completing her doctoral degree.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) hands out the awards to students who show a passion for the nurse practitioner practice, demonstrate a financial need, and are in their final year of their graduate program. Eligible programs include a master’s degree in nursing with a nurse practitioner track, a doctoral degree in nursing practice or a doctoral degree in philosophy in nursing or related field.

This year, AANP awarded a total of $60,000 in scholarships and grants to eligible members. The monies were divvied up among 19 scholarships and five grants, according to Kat Van Duyn, practice and partnerships coordinator with AANP.

Williams said she felt honored and humbled to be chosen to receive the scholarship award.

“I feel this national award is a direct reflection of the growth and development USF has provided me,” Williams said. “It is also a testament to the quality of faculty the College of Nursing offers its students.”

Williams said she is especially grateful, because her husband has sacrificed so much in supporting her as a full-time doctoral student. For the first three years of her studies, she has had to rely solely on student loans.

“Receiving this scholarship has validated the efforts of those who have supported me over the course of my doctoral studies,” she said.

Recipients of the scholarship and grant awards will be recognized at the AANP national conference’s opening and closing sessions in Colorado in late June.

In a letter recommending Williams for the scholarship, USF College of Nursing Assistant Professor Debra Friedrich praised her effective leadership and hard work in many local, state, and national student nursing organizations, while maintaining academic excellence.

“She not only embraces academic excellence as an honors student in Sigma Theta Tau International, but she truly encompasses the spirit of USF by her exceptional leadership at the university and community level,” Friedrich wrote.