Three Southern nursing students win national scholarships

Three Southern University College of Nursing and Allied Health students won scholarships in recent national competitions.

Terrelle Foster, a PhD candidate, won the National League for Nursing Jonas Scholars Program's $6,000 research grant. Foster is one of only seven nursing students from around the country to be selected.

Nursing students Darnell Caldwell and Porche Wilson each received scholarships from the National Black Nurses Association for the 2014 fall semester.

Dr. Cheryl Taylor primary mentor for the students and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, said, "For national and internationally renowned organizations to select SUBR nursing students as future nurse leaders and scholars symbolizes another star in our school of nursing's crown of jewels, the best students faculty and staff make the difference."

Southern's School of Nursing has been recognized as Louisiana's Nursing School of Year twice in the past four years by Louisiana State Nurses Association and the Louisiana Nurses Foundation.

Foster, a New Orleans native, said the award "will definitely help me complete my research" which is in the area of how nursing mentoring and nursing educational organization.

She said that because she is among only seven selected for the award "is proof of the quality of the nursing program at Southern University."

Caldwell, a senior nursing student from New Orleans, was awarded the $5,000 United Health Foundation Scholarship (UHFS). This is the second time that Caldwell has won a scholarship. She received a scholarship for the fall 2013 semester.

The UHFS scholarship is awarded to a nursing student pursuing a B.S. degree or higher nursing degree

Wilson, a senior nursing student from Baton Rouge, received the Rita E. Miller Scholarship for $2,500.

Wilson said she was "humbled" by the award, adding that she appreciated the motivation she received from her professors to pursue the scholarship. "They got me to step out of my comfort zone and apply," she said. "I want to thank Southern University for motivating me and my professors for being so hard on me."

The Rita E. Miller award is offered by Barbara Julian, a member of the Council of Black Nurses, in Los Angeles, in memory of the late Rita E. Miller, Dean of Nursing emeritus of Dillard University, to a student nurse pursuing a B.S. degree in Nursing from an HBCU. 

All of the winners had to submit essays concerning their fields of study and had to have at least an overall 3.0 grade point average, and had to have performed considerable hours of community service.

In the photo on the front from left to right: Porche Wilson, Terrelle Foster and Darnell Caldwell.

Photo by John Oubre, SU Office of Media Relations and Publications.