USF Nursing graduate student, Sarah Mountney, receives 2012 American Cancer Society’s Graduate Scholarship

University of South Florida College of Nursing master’s student, Sarah Mountney RN, BSN, was selected to receive the 2012 American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Graduate Scholarship in Cancer Nursing Practice. Mountney is awarded a total of $10,000 per year, for two academic years. This type of award is very competitive and is only given to a few graduate students.

“I’m humbled and honored to be chosen as a recipient of the American Cancer Society’s Graduate Scholarship in Cancer Nursing Practice,” Mountney said. “Receiving this award not only validates my commitment to Oncology nursing, but it allows so much more opportunity for me to contribute to field of Oncology nursing and the patient and families I’m privileged to care for.”

Mountney is a master’s degree student majoring in Nursing/Oncology ARNP, and plans to graduate in Summer 2014. She currently works as a Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse Coordinator for Shands Cancer Hospital at the University of Florida. Mountney, who lives near Gainesville, drives three hours each way to attend the Oncology program offered by USF College of Nursing.

“As a full time working single mother, this grant has lifted a huge financial burden from my shoulders,” Mountney said. “Now that I’ve received the award, I can focus my efforts on graduating and not on how do I pay for the next semester. This grant will also ease the financial burden that I would encounter with the travel required to obtain my degree.”

Mountney joins two other USF nursing students, Jana L. Perun, MS, ARNP-BC, AOCNP and Sara Tinsley, who received a similar scholarship from the ACS. Perun is pursuing her doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) degree, and Tinsley is working toward her PhD in Nursing.

The overall purpose of this scholarship is to provide support for graduate students pursuing a graduate degree.

Over the years, Mountney has received several awards at Shands Cancer Hospital in 2007 and 2008 including the BMT Nurse of the Year at Shands, and the 2008 Overall Excellence in Nursing Award She has also presented on topics such as emerging therapies for MDS and Bone Marrow Donor selection and work up.