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Empowering Lives Together:
Student nursing organization sets example by
supporting what's important through scholarship

Nita Johnson, clinical instructor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, works with nursing student Aaron Whalen using SimBaby. (UW-Eau Claire photo by Bill Hoepner) ECSNA is one of a handful of student organizations that have established scholarship funds through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. Faculty and staff also can direct their Campus Campaign gifts to the ECSNA scholarship fund or establish a scholarship fund supporting students from a major or student organization of their choice. For more information about the Campus Campaign and how to contribute, contact Diane Doudna at 836-3819 or doudnadn@uwec.edu. • Reminder: The UW-Eau Claire Foundation will host its annual Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon Thursday, Feb. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Council Fire Room-Willow Lounge, Davies Center. Come when you can and stay as long as you are able!

The Eau Claire Student Nurses Association gives UW-Eau Claire student nurses the opportunity to develop leadership and professional skills. Active on campus since 1976, ECSNA has always supported itself through fundraisers, including the Nursing Fair, which is held twice each academic year, and through membership dues. Recently, the ECSNA decided to fund a scholarship to support its members in the nursing program.

During the fall semester, the group gave $15,000 to endow the Eau Claire Student Nurses Association Scholarship through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. The gift was motivated by the organization's desire to reinvest in nursing students and also by a matching gift challenge issued by the Casper Foundation to encourage giving to the nursing program. As a result of the Casper Foundation challenge, the $15,000 gift from the ECSNA will be doubled to create a $30,000 endowed scholarship.

"ECSNA felt it was important to give back something to the nursing student body," said Deborah Chopper, president. "We also hoped that by a student organization stepping up to the plate and funding a new scholarship it might create momentum for other people and organizations to create new scholarships or to contribute to this one."

The group also hopes the scholarship will spur interest in participating in ECSNA. The fund will provide two annual scholarships to nursing students, with first preference going to ECSNA members. One scholarship will be to an outstanding nursing student with financial need, while the other will support a nursing student participating in an international study abroad experience.

"We want to support current and future ECSNA members because they have helped make these funds possible,” said Chopper. “We also want to encourage nursing students to participate in the study abroad program to help our members gain a broader insight of the world around them. We are very proud of this scholarship and the fact that it will be part of ECSNA's legacy to the College of Nursing and Health Sciences."

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