National Park College registered nursing students were recently awarded full tuition and fees scholarships thanks to the generosity of Peter van den Huevel in honor of his late mother, Marge van den Heuvel, daughter Frances Elizabeth Iverson, and granddaughter Vivienne Rose Iverson, the college said in a news release.
Kristof Waltermire received the Frances Elizabeth Iverson Nursing Scholarship. He is a first-year RN student who plans to pursue a specialty in pediatrics. He said the scholarship alleviates stress about the cost of tuition and will allow him to focus more on being a father to his special-needs daughter, the release said.
Brittany Moore received the Marge van den Heuvel Nursing Scholarship. She is also a first-year RN student and a mother of three young children. Moore is "determined to demonstrate the importance of education to her children through perseverance and dedication," the release said.
Erin Oseguera received the Vivienne Rose Iverson Nursing Scholarship. "She was not only excited to be named but was honored to show her two teenage sons that when you put your heart in something you will overcome the obstacles," it said.
Van den Heuvel said he was inspired to give to nursing scholarships because of the experiences his family had with the health care system. He, his mother, and his daughter all experienced life-altering events that resulted in lengthy hospital stays.
"It was during these experiences he realized the nurses were the heart of the hospital. He applauded the efforts of the entire hospital staff, including the doctors, but recognized the nurses had the most patient interaction and provided critical encouragement and support needed to help with recovery," the release said.
Van den Heuvel explained the impact education has had on his family.
"I think for both of us education is important. It has made all the difference in Frances' life and my life," Van den Heuvel said in the release, noting how helpful financial aid was for him personally while attending college in Fayetteville.
"I had a teaching assistantship and a research fellowship. It was nice to have the extra money to help me get through school because my parents weren't rich. We just wanted to help."