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Clara Barton Hospital Foundation awards nine healthcare scholarships
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Each year, the Clara Barton Foundation awards scholarships to applicants interested in pursuing a degree in the medical field. These scholarships have been funded through scholarship endowments that have been established over the years. This year the Foundation awarded nine scholarships, totaling $4,500.

The Verda Lane Scholarship was made possible through an endowment established by her family in honor of her years of dedicated nursing service. The scholarship assists students in their academic pursuit to become a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). This year, the Verda Lane scholarship was awarded to Krista Schneider of Olmitz, Victoria Chacon of Wichita, and Jennah Jeffrey of Hoisington. 

• Krista Schneider is a former graduate from Hoisington High School (Class of 2018). Krista graduated with her BSN from Fort Hays State University in May, recently passed state boards, and has been accepted into the Doctor of Nursing Program at FHSU. While pursuing her doctorate, she plans to work as an RN in the Intensive Care Unit at Wesley Medical Center. Ultimately, Krista would love to stay in Kansas and work as a family nurse practitioner in the clinic setting, caring for others in all areas of life. 

• Victoria Chacon attends Wichita State University, pursuing a degree in nursing. In high school, Victoria participated in a job shadow program that allowed her to explore many different units across the hospital and sparked her interest in health care. 

• Jennah Jeffrey is a former graduate of Central Plains High School (Class of 2021) and a current CNA at Clara Barton. She is enrolled in the Registered Nursing program at Barton Community College. After completing the program, she plans to earn her BSN and dreams of eventually becoming either a Nurse Anesthetist or a Nurse Practitioner. Jennah hopes to combine her love of anatomy and physiology with her caring attitude in order to make a positive impact in the rural area in which she was raised.

The Jonathan Witt Scholarship supports students planning to pursue a healthcare professional curriculum. This scholarship is the oldest scholarship offered, having been continually awarded since the formation of the Hospital Auxiliary organization in the 1950’s. The auxiliary members voted to rename the scholarship in 2004 and established an endowment with the Foundation in honor of Jonathan Witt, son of Dr. Dan and Sandi Witt. This year, the scholarships were awarded to Macy Hanzlick, Marissa Jonas, and Maleigha Schmidt, all from Hoisington. 

• Macy Hanzlick is a recent graduate of Hoisington High School (Class of 2022) and plans to begin classes at Pratt Community College in the fall. During her time working as a CNA in high school, she enjoyed the patient relationship building process and medical culture, but decided to pursue a more specialized service, which is how she chose Radiology. She plans to also obtain a degree in sonography and looks forward to being able to care for patients during their time of need. 

• Marisa Jonas is a former graduate of Hoisington High School (Class of 2016). In 2021, she graduated from Fort Hays State University with her Bachelor of Science. This fall, she will begin her second year of optometry school at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry. She enjoys the patient interaction, diversity of cases, variety of patient treatments, and seeing patient satisfaction. After professional school, Marisa plans to return to the area and give back to the community that raised her. Ultimately, she would love to own and operate a practice locally. 

• Maleigha Schmidt is a former graduate from Hoisington High School (Class of 2019) and currently a student at Fort Hays State University, majoring in Biology (Pre-Med). Throughout her childhood, she witnessed firsthand the positive impact doctors have had on her family and it solidified her decision to pursue a medical degree. After completing her undergraduate degree, Maleigha’s goal is to attain a Doctorate of Anesthesiology and return to the area, hoping to make the same positive impact on the lives of others.

The Sadie Stalcup Scholarship was established in more recent years to honor Sadie Stalcup, a long-time nurse at Clara Barton Hospital. This year, three scholarships were awarded to Livvy Brewer of Hoisington, Delaney Rugan of Claflin, and Chandra Ehler of Hoisington. 

• Livvy Brewer is a recent graduate of Hoisington High School (Class of 2022) and plans to attend Fort Hays State University in the fall to pursue a degree in nursing. She has always enjoyed helping others, and her love for the profession has only grown during her experience working as a CNA at Clara Barton. She enjoys the close-knit feel of the community and hopes to return to the area after graduation to practice locally. 

• Delaney Rugan is a former graduate from Central Plains High School (Class of 2020). She currently attends Kansas State University, majoring in Biology Pre-Medicine. From a young age, she has had a passion for the medical field and a love of children, which influenced her decision to become a pediatrician. After graduating with her bachelors, she hopes to attend the University of Kansas Medical School to complete her medical degree. After school, Delaney hopes to return to central Kansas in order to care for the families of those that helped shape her into the person she is today. 

• Chandra Ehler is a former graduate from Hoisington High School (Class of 2021) and a current CNA at Clara Barton. She will begin the Practical Nursing Program at Barton Community College in the fall as the fourth person in her family to go through Barton’s nursing program. After completing her RN, Chandra plans to continue her education and obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fort Hays State University. She then plans to spend some time working as a nurse before hopefully returning to school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

Anyone interested in making a contribution to any of these endowments or to the Clara Barton Foundation may visit www.clarabartonhospital.com, contact the Foundation by calling 620-292-0814 or mail a tax-deductible contribution to P.O. Box 25 Hoisington, Kansas 67544.