Each year, donor generosity enables the foundation to award scholarships to UCHealth northern Colorado employees interested in furthering career-related skills. For our 2021–22 scholarship cycle, $87,000 was awarded to 50 recipients.
Since 2014, the foundation has awarded nearly $480,000 in scholarships to 322 UCHealth employees.
Employee scholarships transform lives. They have the dual benefit of serving both the recipient and our community. The stories our scholars share in these thank-you messages show how generosity improves the lives of our health care workers while they work to care for—and improve the lives of—our patients.
“As a nurse, I have a passion for caring for others, and I am committed to a profession of excellence. I am pursuing a master’s degree in nursing. By awarding me a scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden, which enables me to focus more on the most important aspect of school, learning. Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as this scholarship has helped me. Thank you for this incredible gift as my heart is filled with gratitude.”
— Kelli Dunn, clinical nurse educator
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for receiving a scholarship. It has been a challenging process working full time as an emergency department charge nurse and going to school full time. The scholarship has empowered me to continue my family nurse practitioner program. Receiving this scholarship validates and supports the hard work I have put forward in growing as a health care provider. Thank you for your generosity in supporting my educational growth. Your contributions mean more than you know and are an example that I hope to pay forward.”
— Joel Smith, charge nurse
Like many of our recipients, Sandra Pritchard has been awarded scholarships multiple times, including last year and this year. Pritchard, a registered nurse at the UCHealth Cancer Center – Harmony Campus, said this support has empowered her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and she may also continue toward qualification as a nurse practitioner. When she was awarded last year, Pritchard offered a heartfelt thank you in a video message.