Nursing students become Nurse Corps Scholars

USF Nursing students continue to transform healthcare at USF and in the community. Their efforts to make a difference are recognized locally, nationally and regionally.

Franciann Lewandowski, RN (in photo above) and Savannah Lake, RN, were among four USF Nursing students to receive the 2014 NURSE Corps Scholarship from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration. They received the sought-after award for their commitment to primary care.

Lewandowski and Lake volunteer at two local Critical Shortage Facilities. They are currently working on their bachelor’s degree in nursing. Both expect to graduate this year.

“I plan on volunteering at the free health care clinic for as long as I can,” said Lewandowski. “I feel that quality health care should be accessible to everyone regardless of race, age, gender, location, socio-economic status or health status.”

The scholarship enables students accepted or enrolled in an associate, baccalaureate or graduate nursing programs, including the RN to BSN Bridge Program, to receive funding for tuition, fees and other educational costs in exchange for working at an eligible Critical Shortage Facility upon graduation. Upon graduation, NURSE Corps Scholarship recipients work at these facilities for at least 2 years, earning the same competitive salary and benefits as any new hire.

“I grew up watching my parents give back and serve,” Lake said. “It was their life’s work that inspires me to make sacrifices and serve those who need it most.”

The NURSE Corps Scholarship application process is highly competitive. The NURSE Corps received thousands of applications from more than 500 schools across the country, and less than 10 percent of the applicants received the scholarship.

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