Inaugural Conway Scholars enter final year at Nese College of Nursing

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Undergraduates in the first cohort of the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing's Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship are now in the final year of their bachelor of science in nursing degrees, three years after a $2 million grant established the program and committed $40,000 in support to each scholar over four years.

In July, the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF renewed and expanded upon its initial gift with a $5.25 million grant that will support more than 100 students this year and at least 150 in each of the following four years.

Named for William "Bill" Conway Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, the Conway Scholars program combines need-based scholarship support with mentorship, academic resources and professional development.

As members of the original cohort approach graduation, three Conway Scholars described how the program has shaped their nursing education and plans for the future.

Alexander Brooks, Penn State Schuylkill, class of 2027

Alexander Brooks had already spent years working toward college before he arrived at Penn State Schuylkill.

Brooks began working at a restaurant at 14, starting as a dishwasher before moving through roles as a food runner, server, bartender and, eventually, kitchen manager. By his junior year of high school, he was working full time. He knew he would need to contribute substantially to his education if he wanted to attend college.

When Brooks was weighing his college options, Marianne Adam, director for undergraduate nursing education at Penn State Schuylkill, sent him information about the Conway Scholars Program. The scholarship helped make his preferred choice - studying nursing at Penn State - possible.

"The Conway program has been the biggest blessing of my life," he said.

He has since made the dean's list every semester while commuting from Kutztown and continuing to work.

This summer, Brooks completed a nursing externship with St. Luke's and transitioned into work as a hospital aide.

While working in the children's emergency department during his externship, Brooks noticed a young patient sitting alone, restless and upset without any family members there to stay with him. During a break, Brooks chose to spend time with the patient, talking and watching "SpongeBob SquarePants." A nurse noticed the interaction, and Brooks was later recognized for his compassion.

After graduation, Brooks said he hopes to remain at the bedside.

"No matter where I end up, I want to be at the bedside," he said. "I want to be able to help my patients directly and brighten their day."

Jaina Nortey, Penn State Scranton, class of 2027

Jaina Nortey grew up in Stroudsburg, raised by Ghanaian immigrant parents and surrounded by relatives who worked in healthcare. By high school, she said she knew she wanted a career centered on helping others. She was already spending weekends volunteering at her church's food pantry, where she and her family packed food and personal-care supplies, helped community members shop and loaded groceries into their cars. She set her sights on nursing.

Nortey is a triplet, so financing college meant her family would be paying multiple tuitions at once. When she learned she had received the Conway Scholarship, it was "a great weight lifted off of my shoulders," she said. And for Nortey, the program's impact extended far beyond financial support. Conway Scholars meet regularly as a group, learn from nursing professionals, such as certified registered nurse anesthetists, and participate in community service and other activities together, including a trip to Washington, D.C.

"They have given us so much more support than just financial," Jaina said. "It's incredible."

A 2023 trip to Ghana clarified Nortey's long-term plans. Alongside meeting family and seeing where her parents grew up, she got a look at the country's hospitals. She saw nurses caring for patients with limited supplies and resources. She returned with the hope of one day practicing there.

This summer, she completed a nursing externship with St. Luke's. Currently, she works as a nurse's aide on a telemetry unit. After graduation, she hopes to build clinical experience in telemetry before potentially moving into operating-room nursing and, eventually, practicing overseas.

Kristen Priest, Penn State Mont Alto, class of 2027

Kristen Priest grew up on a dairy farm outside Hagerstown, Maryland, milking between 70 and 80 cows on a rotation with her two siblings. She credited her work ethic to her father, who, she said, devoted so much of his time and energy to the farm.

College was not always part of her plan.

"I did not want to go to college for a really long time," Priest said.

During her senior year of high school, as she considered how she would support herself, she took her mother's advice and looked into nursing. She applied late in the spring, and got in.

Financing college was a significant concern for Priest. The Conway Scholarship, she said, eased that worry.

"I have had a lot of peace because of it," Priest said. Without the scholarship, she added, she would have needed to work substantially more while completing her degree.

She spent the summer as an extern on the critical care unit at Chambersburg Hospital, 25 minutes from her home.

Priest attends a Brethren church in Chambersburg and said her upbringing helps her connect with patients in the area. Over the summer, she prayed with one patient and the two talked about their churches. She added that her farming background offers another point of connection with patients in a region where many work in agriculture.

Priest expects to work in Chambersburg or Hagerstown after she graduates in the spring. She said she hopes to work in obstetrics.

Donors like the Conways advance the University's historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University's impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.