“I want to be a living honor to my grandmother, for her patriotic and brave work.”
Scholarship recipient and Paradise Valley Community College student Michael S. speaks with great pride as he talks about his late grandmother. “The Korean War was the turning point in the acceptance of African American nurses taking their places in the war zone, and my grandmother was one of those pioneer nurses.” Following in his grandmother’s footsteps, Michael is a nursing student who credits his scholarships with providing the means and motivation to help him through school. “I am very grateful to the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation; it gives students that extra boost they need to get through school,” Michael said during a recent presentation to the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation Board.“The Foundation has not only given me a monetary contribution that I can use to improve my educational opportunities but has also helped to increase my resolve to finish college and become successful.”Michael’s inspiration is his late grandmother: “Her memory lives on in my family as a reminder to always do the right thing and help people whenever possible. I want to be a living honor to her patriotic and brave work.” With this strong resolve, Michael will undoubtedly be a successful and caring nurse.