New Fund Established to Support DNP Students

When eight Doctor of Nursing Program (DNP) alumni from the class of 2019 — Michelle Boggess, Krysta Byrnes, Julia Kase, Kara McKay, Emilie Kuster, Audrey Lowenthal, Jessica Mau, and Andrew Pettit — wanted to make an impact and give back to future DNP students, they collectively contributed $500 each, totaling $4,000, to create the DNP Alumni Term Fund for Nursing Students.

“My vision was for this to fund federally recognized minority students in a DNP program to give health equity,” said Boggess.

“My motivation to participate in contributing to the DNP alumni fund is to give back to the community that helped me succeed in my DNP program. The scholarship funds that I received were of great benefit to me and my family and allowed me to continue and complete the program and come out the other end with less debt,” said Pettit.

The goal of this fund is to not only help aspiring DNP students but make the DNP program more accessible to BIPOC students, giving them the opportunity work with and care for minority patients.

In addition, “my goal for the fund is to be able to make it so that students specifically in the DNP program could experience similar benefits and continue their schooling with less expense, less debt, and more peace of mind,” said Pettit.

The plan is to fund one student this academic year and will be named later this quarter.

“We have this fund for four years, and our hope is that other students give and continue the fund,” said Boggess.

If you’re interested in contributing to the UW School of Nursing DNP Alumni Term Fund for Nursing Students to this fund click here

-Kristine Wright