Marcia Petty

Dear Reach for the Stars Nursing Scholarship Program,

Thank you for selecting my application for the Reach for the Stars Nursing Scholarship. Completing my nursing degree has been a goal of mine for a long time, which I will now be able to obtain with the help of your organization.

I have been an LPN for approximately 12 years and while I love the work that I do, I feel that there are opportunities not only to help patients — but to mentor other nurses — that I am not able to capitalize on because of my limited credentials. I have found my niche in Infectious Disease and have learned so much from the physicians that I work with, but I would like to do more by earning my HIV/AIDS Nurse Certification and potentially continuing to work on a master’s in public health.

Working in Infectious Disease, we see firsthand the complications that have occurred from multiple public health emergencies over the past few years. It’s not easy work, and sometimes we wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into, but by furthering my education I will help our patients get the care they need and help teach other nurses how to better deliver that care. Nursing is not a glamourous career, and with the state of the world now it seems that more people are turning away from healthcare as a profession. But I am confident that I can show others that it is still a job worth doing and doing well, and that the nurses here can provide the care that is so desperately needed.

Thank you again for this incredible opportunity.

Sincerely,

Marcia Petty
Ambulatory LPN
Infectious Disease