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HEALTH Aspiring nurses aided by Evans scholarships Hospital foundation awards funds to 24 students and graduates Comment By Angelica Crimmins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Angelica Crimmins For the Tidings Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 7:56 PM By Angelica Crimmins For the Tidings Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 7:56 PM » Social News After Chastity Drobena received her acceptance letter to the Oregon Health & Science University at SOU three years ago, she sat in the post office parking lot and cried. As a single mother with maxed out Federal Student Aid, she had no idea how she was going to pay tuition. “I got online and started researching scholarships both within OHSU and beyond. I made a binder with all the applications and due dates. Applying for scholarships is itself a part time job,” said Drobena, determined to continue her education after a year of fulfilling the registered nursing program’s prerequisites. In September, 40-year-old Drobena was one of 11 students enrolled in nursing programs at SOU and RCC to receive the William G. and Ruth T. Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship awarded by the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation. Out of the $52,500 in tuition assistance awarded this year, Drobena received $5,000 just as she began her third and final year of the Bachelors of Science RN Program on the SOU campus. Honored with the scholarship for three years in a row, Drobena has now received a total of $11,500 from the Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship fund. “For someone like me, who has no outside assistance (and is) raising a child alone, it means the world to me. It’s the difference between graduating or not. I am looking forward to the day I am able to pay it forward,” said Drobena, expressing her gratitude for the philanthropy of the Evans family. Drobena is not the only nursing student with financial anxieties. According to the American Society of Registered Nurses, roughly two-thirds of nursing students graduate owing student loans, with the average debt rising from $18,650 in 2004 to $23,300 in 2008. In addition to the $52,500 in tuition scholarships, the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation has also awarded an additional $5,518.50 to 13 RCC Practical Nursing Program graduates to assist in their state application and licensing exam fees. “This is the first year we have awarded scholarships to practical nurse students. We discovered that they often have difficulty paying for the licensing exam, which is a requirement for them to work as a Licensed Practical Nurse,” explained Janet Troy, a spokesperson for the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation. According to Troy, 90 local nursing students have received 135 scholarships totaling $258,433 since the creation of the Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship in 2002. Ruth T. Evans, a former army nurse during World War II and an Ashland resident since 1998, established the scholarship fund to provide financial assistance to qualified nursing students intending to work in the Rogue Valley. After her death in 2013, her legacy continues in the form of a $2.5 million bequest to the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation. The funds help support the Endowed Evans Nursing Scholarship, the Foundations Charity Care Endowment and the Asante Ashland Community Hospital Hospice program. When Ruth T. Evans established the scholarship fund, she recognized the need for educated nurses in the Rogue Valley. The need is continually growing, both nation and statewide. Registered Nursing is the top occupation in terms of the largest job growth from 2008-2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As 54 percent of Oregon nurses plan on retiring within the next 10 years, Chastity Drobena will be graduating this June with hopes to enter the Rogue Valley workforce as a Registered Labor and Delivery Nurse. Already a certified Doula, Drobena plans on working towards a Certified Nurse Midwifery degree, and possibly opening her own birthing center. “Supporting women in this amazing and sacred time is very fulfilling,” she said, “The possibilities are endless!” Email Ashland freelance writer Angelica Crimmins at [email protected]. By Angelica Crimmins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Angelica Crimmins For the Tidings Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 7:56 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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