SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. ― The Board of Directors at Regional West Foundation is pleased to announce that $21,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 15 students enrolled at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) School of Nursing.

Each award will be split between the 2022 fall and 2023 spring semesters.

The Regional West Foundation $5,000 scholarship was awarded to Darren Wells.

Five students were awarded $5,000 Gerke scholarships, including Jessica Badje, Sarah Salomon, Katelin Agler, Ashley Grassia, and Michele Hesse. Jerad Phillips and Emma Leggott were each awarded $2,500 Gerke scholarships.

Haleigh Crable and Alyssa Dishman each received $1,000 Lovercheck scholarships.

A $1,000 Coleman scholarship was awarded to Jamison Harvey, a $1,000 Dill scholarship to Kaitlyn Jensen, and a $1,000 Connell scholarship to Emma Johnson.

Kathryn Blankenship received a $1,000 M. Streeks Brown scholarship and Nabil Njie was awarded the $1,000 Ehrman scholarship.

Salomon said the Gerke scholarship came at an ideal time for her.

“When I received the news that I had received the Gerke scholarship from the Regional West Foundation, a weight lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “I had been praying that I would receive more help to pay for nursing school, and I received exactly what I needed. Having the ability to not wonder how I am going to afford school without getting a loan is a huge blessing. My passion is helping others and I know that I have been called to do that as a nurse. Through the blessing of receiving this scholarship, I am one step closer to impacting countless lives doing what I love.”

The Regional West Foundation was established in 1972 to support the health system’s mission of excellence in healthcare. Today, the Foundation's success is a continuation of a long and proud tradition of community support for superior healthcare services in the communities it serves.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers and approximately 2,000 staff members, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.