Eights Aspiring Students Receive Educational Boost As They Pursue Careers In Nursing Field

Eight aspiring students will be one step closer to reaching their goals of becoming licensed practical nurses (LPNs) with the help of Sanford Health and Northwest Technical College (NTC).

According to a press release, the program loans nursing students $5,000 toward their tuition expenses and offers them part-time employment while they attend NTC. In return, after graduation students work for two years in a full-time LPN position at Sanford in order to receive the full loan forgiveness.

Here’s a list of the 2017 recipients:

Pictured from left to right, back row: Harris Moses, Mary Pratt, Benjamin Hovestol and April Denny front row: Tanya Clemenson, Kimberli Corson and Taelor Boyce. Not pictured Vincent Obaigwa.

· April Denny has worked as an environmental services aide at Sanford Health since February 2016. She is interested in becoming a psychology nurse. She is originally from Springfield, Missouri.

 · Kimberli Corson, of Laporte, Minnesota, plans to become a pediatric nurse. She has worked at Sanford Health as a patient access specialist since January 2015.

 · Tanya Clemenson is interested in pursuing a physician assistant or nurse practitioner  degree. She is currently working as an exercise specialist and has worked at Sanford Health since January 2010. Her hometown is Elk River, Minnesota.

 · Benjamin Hovestol has worked as a personal care assistant at WoodsEdge since January 2017. He plans to become a pediatric nurse. He is from Bemidji.

 · Mary Pratt has been working as a patient care assistant  at Cedar Cottage in Bemidji since 2014. Originally from Esko, Minnesota, she is interested in specializing in wound, hospice or geriatric nursing.

 · Taelor Boyce grew up in Bemidji and graduated from Baptist High School in 2016. She is interested in becoming a pediatric or oncology nurse.

· Harris Moses graduated from Saint Mary University in Winona, Minnesota, with a degree in political science. He is interested in becoming a pediatric nurse, emergency nurse or a physician assistant.

 · Vincent Obaigwa is from Kenya and has worked as a certified nurse assistant since coming to the United States. He is interested in becoming a registered nurse.

“The loan helps remove the financial barriers for students and provides Sanford Health with talented new nurses upon graduation. It benefits us all,” said Brian Matthews, director of human relations for Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota. “And an LPN degree is often a stepping stone for nursing students, who return to school for their registered nurse degree or other advanced technical training.”