USF nursing students receive Bily Scholarship
USF awarded the Jennifer K. Bily Memorial Scholarship, established in the memory of the late nursing student from Plainfield, to two nursing students for the 2005-06 school year: senior Stacie Dawson of Bolingbrook, and junior Rebecca York of Streator.
The 2006-07 recipients are senior Kristin Schmidt of Crest Hill and sophomore Lauren Emanuelson of Ottawa.
The fast-paced setting of the emergency room is what inspired Dawson to become a nurse. “It’s not just about receiving a paycheck; it’s knowing that you are impacting people’s lives,” said Dawson. “My vision for myself as a nurse is to not only acquire the knowledge needed to provide adequate care at work, but also to assist those in need of medical attention in emergency situations outside of the work environment.”
York chose nursing because she sees the many possibilities for advancement and self-satisfaction that it offers. She is excited about the opportunities that a nursing career offers and would like to focus on acute care in the intensive care unit. Eventually she plans to move into nurse management or nursing education. “My goal is to never remain stagnant and to keep climbing higher and challenging myself further,” said York. “The Jennifer Bily Scholarship is a wonderful stepping stone toward helping me finance my education in order to reach my goals.”
After an unsatisfactory experience with a nurse while taking her own children to the doctor, Schmidt decided that she would become a pediatric nurse to make sure that other families get the care that they deserve. Upon completion of her degree, she plans on gaining experience as a pediatric nurse, and eventually will become a nurse practitioner. “It is a very vulnerable time when parents must take their children to the doctor, especially if they are very sick or terminally ill,” said Schmidt. “I hope to take some of the burden off of the parents by taking care of their children and putting 100% into doing everything I can for the patient.”
Emanuelson knew that she had a special calling to the nursing field when she began volunteering at a local ambulance service at age 16. “It was then that I realized the impact that nurses have on the lives of their patients,” she said. After graduating from USF, Emanuelson wants to start working as an emergency room nurse and eventually pursue a career in flight nursing or field nursing. “My desire to help others in the greatest time of need keeps pushing me to continue working in the emergency field.” Emanuelson hopes to continue her volunteer work on the ambulance while working as a nurse.
The Jennifer K. Bily Memorial Scholarship was established after the Plainfield, Ill. woman’s death in a 1995 automobile accident. She was a nursing student and volunteer paramedic at the time. Her parents Anthony Bily and Kathy Bily established the scholarship fund.
The University of St. Francis in Joliet serves more than 4,100 students nationwide with 60 areas of undergraduate study and 13 graduate programs.