Chanda Graig and Marly Womack were chosen as the recipients of the scholarship.
“Both the applicants really had a heart for nursing ... (they are) going into it for all the right reasons,” said Kris Jones, director of nurses training with the 40&8 Society.
Both applicants said they had chosen nursing because they wanted to help others, according to Jones. Jones said the recipients’ answers to questions during the interview stood out to the committee.
Jones said there had been four applicants but there were not enough funds to assist all of them.
The scholarship covers the full tuition for a semester at Cleveland State, and is awarded to nursing students as funds become available. The organization makes the scholarship payment directly to the school. The scholarship can be renewed for subsequent semesters if a student passes all classes and there is enough funding.
Although the 40&8 Society is a veterans’ organization, the nurses training committee does not require the students to be a veteran or the child of a vet to be eligible.
Jones said the students are required to have a letter of acceptance from the nursing program. A 3.0 GPA is preferred, but the selection committee makes the decision on a case-by-case basis.
The final decision is made by the nurses training committee of the 40&8 Society. The committee is also in charge of fundraising for the scholarships.
“Every dime goes to paying for a student’s tuition. None of it goes to a national organization,” Jones said.
He also said the money is raised locally and is invested locally (in the lives of students)
The 40&8 Society has awarded similar scholarships in the past, but it has been a few years since the last recipient was chosen. Jones said he hopes the program will continue to grow.
To have recipients stay in the area after graduation and serve as nurses locally would be Jones’ vision for them. However, he said this is not a requirement. Scholarship recipients are free to work wherever they choose after graduation.
Jones said he hopes more students will be able to benefit from the scholarships next year.
