Congratulations to Anne Mead and Ella Watson, recipients of NHH’s 2024 Health Professions Scholarships
Anne Mead and Ella Watson are the recipients of Northumberland Hills Hospital’s 2024 Health Professions Scholarships.
The scholarships, a prize of $1,500 per student, were announced by Hospital Board Chair Beth Selby at the opening of the Board of Director’s meeting this evening, Thursday, June 6.
“Since its inception in 2003, the Health Professions Scholarship has garnered a positive response from the community,” said Beth Selby, Board Chair. “As we have seen in years past, there were many worthy and accomplished candidates, who are undoubtedly destined to make a positive impact across the healthcare field. Tonight’s recipients—Anne and Ella—stood out for many reasons, but above all else, for their drive, determination, and commitment to have a positive impact in their future careers as nurses, and specifically, their aspirations to return to NHH.”
The presentation continued a tradition started by the volunteer Board in 2003 to support students from west Northumberland who have chosen to pursue a career in the healthcare sector.
In addition to being enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a full-time study program, applicants are evaluated on a combination of criteria, including:
- academic achievements;
- extra-curricular activities;
- a testimonial explaining (in their own words) their career goals; and
- written references.
Details of the 2024 scholarship winners’ achievements were shared as follows at the early evening presentation which served as the first item of business on the Board’s June Board meeting agenda.
Anne Mead, Port Hope
In June 2024, Anne will be graduating from Trent University after successfully earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Though her intention to pursue a career in nursing never wavered, Anne’s future aspirations of working in an urban hospital changed after a positive placement experience at NHH, where she hopes to practice in future.
“I have always had a deep desire to become a registered nurse, initially having the intent to work in an urban hospital throughout my career,” said Anne, in her Health Professions Scholarship application letter. “Between September and December 2023, I completed my pre-consolidation clinical placement at Northumberland Hills Hospital on the Restorative Care Unit. Experiencing the teamwork and close knit feeling of a smaller hospital solidified my decision to apply to NHH within the next five years.”
Anne described how her newfound passion for community healthcare was further solidified after being partnered with a professor who shared similar interests, saying, “I had the idea to create a video containing interviews with my professor, the placement coordinator, and a student who pursued their consolidation experience in a remote location. I contacted the principal of Port Hope High School during this time and asked if I could present a slideshow presentation to students about rural nursing. The intent of the presentation was to encourage students to apply to nursing programs and return to rural hospitals.”
Anne—who grew up in Port Hope—also has many strong ties to the community through volunteerism, where she completed a total of 791 community service hours with St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church and at school and community events like the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY).
In a letter of recommendation, Annette Cornelius-McNeil—a Registered Nurse who acted as Anne’s preceptor during her pre-consolidation term experience at NHH—said “During Anne’s pre-consolidation term with Trent University, she demonstrated immense kindness to all patients. Anne demonstrates a great commitment to her academia and has expressed her continuing educational goals and included that she missed being at NHH and plans for her future to return again to NHH.”
Ella Watson, Baltimore
Ella is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Trent University, where she has just completed her first year.
After finishing her undergraduate studies, Ella hopes to begin her career at NHH as a Registered Nurse with future aspirations of becoming a Nurse Practitioner (NP). “My goal is to complete the 4-year bachelor’s degree in nursing and to one day pursue a career at Northumberland Hills Hospital. After gaining experience as a Registered Nurse, I hope to continue my education as a Nurse Practitioner,” said Ella in her Health Professions Scholarship application letter.
Ella has also demonstrated a keen interest in volunteerism, specifically with NHH’s Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), which she described as solidifying her decision to pursue a career in healthcare, saying, “I witnessed patients go through health struggles daily and this made me realize that I wanted to help. It was because of my urge to want to help that I continued with a volunteer position at NHH after my co-op placement was over. I have a strong passion for helping others and it was this experience that made me realize that by just giving a little bit extra, I can make a difference.”
Ella’s dedication to patient care was also recognized by Keelyn Berry, who is currently acting as her clinical placement supervisor with Trent University.
In her letter of recommendation, Keelyn commented on Ella’s growth and development as a nursing student, stating, “I can confirm that Ella is developing therapeutic relationships with the residents at the facility. She demonstrates empathy and communicates professionally. She treats the residents with respect.”
Information on the requirements for NHH’s Health Professions Scholarship program will be found under the Careers section of the hospital website on the Student Scholarship page. Applications are invited at any time, but typically close in February of each year with presentations at the June meeting of the Board.