Empowering Dreams

Kasandra Rodriguez

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2024

“I chose UW because since I was a little girl, UW was my dream school. My cousin and my older sister also graduated from UW, and they motivated me to do my best to get accepted. I applied to the nursing program in 2022 and was not initially accepted. However, that did not stop me from trying again. The following year I applied for the second time and was accepted!

I can’t thank you enough for this financial award scholarship that was given to me. I grew up in a small town where my family was considered low-income. My father works in farm labor, and my mother works at a migrant child daycare. They had to move this year, and that put a bigger financial burden on them, which is why I had to apply for financial awards. Asking my parents for money made me feel guilty, knowing they had my other siblings to provide for back home. This award has helped me not to ask my parents for money to continue my education here at UW and to complete my dream here. I strive and will work hard to maintain good grades to keep this scholarship and stay at UW. Again, I can’t thank you enough for this help towards my education. I truly appreciate it!”

Devon Woodley

Doctor of Nursing Practice, 2025

“Thank you so very much for your gift, which enabled me to travel to the Peruvian Amazon to study human health and its relationship with both the natural and built environments.

The nursing profession is deeply rooted in assessing and redressing the social determinants of health as a pathway to wellness in individuals, families, and their communities. I leveraged the determinants as an analytical framework with an eye on the continuum between rural, suburban, and urban settlements. This has profound implications for my practice and how I choose to advocate for my patients in both professional society and at large. I see myself performing follow-up research to continue building on this work with more time and formality.

Without your gift, this experience would not have been possible for me. On an especially personal note, I am a veteran, and this was my first time traveling abroad outside the military. I have been trying to understand how I can serve global health communities outside of uniform, and this experience has introduced me to partners and interests that have illuminated that pathway. Thank you for your gift.”

Jaemie C. Lam

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2024

“Thank you for this wonderful scholarship! This scholarship means so much to me personally and financially.

Before I graduated, I felt that as a nurse, I should be exposed to many different perspectives to practice dismantling biases and have more open perspectives to provide better patient care, which UW Nursing is embodying.

I come from a low-income family as a first-generation student, which made pursuing education difficult for me due to the financial barrier. With this scholarship, I was able to have this life-changing experience. Thank you so much once again for this scholarship that has given me this opportunity to better myself personally and professionally.”