WMH Foundation launches scholarship program

   The Weiser Memorial Hospital Foundation has officially launched its first-ever scholarship program that will award two, one-time $1,000 awards.
Intended to assist students that live or work in the Washington County area, the scholarships are open to any student, of any age, currently pursuing degrees in the medical field.
 Applications are being accepted from students in all medical fields including nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, or medicine/medical science (doctors).
The scholarships are, in part, a way to give back to the community and invest in the future, according to Weiser Memorial Hospital Foundation Executive Director Casey Clark-Ney.
 “We held a board development [meeting] last winter and just started talking about their vision for the future and what they, as board directors, wanted to do, and the thing that kept coming up was a scholarship fund,” she said. “It’s something that hasn’t been done. Ultimately, our leadership and trustees felt like it continues to serve our mission.”
 Funding for the scholarships was launched several months ago through the Idaho Gives program, a week-long philanthropic endeavor aimed at raising funds for non-profits through the Idaho Nonprofit Center.
 “It’s a way for non-profits to unify around a cause and to raise funds for their programming,” said WMH Foundation Project Coordinator Kim Burgess. “Now we are opening it up to accept scholarship applications.”
 See below for specific eligibility requirement.
 Preference is given to applicants who plan to return to rural healthcare after they have graduated from their program.
 The WMH Foundation raised just under $5,000 through the Idaho Gives platform, which all but guarantees distribution of more scholarships next year.
 The money can be used for a variety of student needs.
 “It can be used for tuition, books, housing, or anything college related,” Burgess said. “The money will be sent directly to the school.”
 For students, every penny counts, the scholarship allows them to put more of their time and energy into their classes.
 “Any amount helps them focus on their education as opposed to worrying about the financial burden,” Burgess said. “The expenses are pretty outrageous.”
 Both Burgess and Ney know from experience and have empathy for people trying to get through school.
 “We’ve all received scholarships and I’ve watched a family friend who wants to become a psychologist, so now she is on a 10-year track,” Ney said. “I’ve watched her scrape for every penny she could get, applying for scholarships and trying to figure out her student loan options, so $500 doesn’t really seem like a lot, but every little $500 check that comes in is like, ‘Oh, I’m going to make it through this quarter.’ She lives a quarter at a time.”
 The need is real, Burgess and Ney receiving inquiries from the moment they launched the Idaho Gives campaign.
 And, how will the selections committee, consisting of trustees, decide who gets the scholarships?
 “It’s going to be tough for them,” Ney said. “We put together some submission parameters for them, but I think it’s going to be hard. You’d like to give everyone a scholarship if you could.”
 “Part of the application process is telling their story,” Burgess said. “Part of that requirement is submitting an essay and some letters of recommendation, as well as their transcripts.”
 Applications must be received by the Weiser Memorial Hospital Foundation by Sept. 1. They can be obtained by visiting weisermemorialshospital.org or emailing Foundation@WeiserHospital.org.
 Completed applications must be sent to Foundation@WeiserHospital.org, attention: Scholarship Fund, 645 E. 5th St., Weiser, Idaho 83672.
 To be accepted for the scholarship, the applicant must:
 • Be enrolled in a healthcare related field at an accredited school.
 • Have at least a 3.0 gpa.
 • Submit an essay describing his/her reasons for selecting a specific health career, career goals, and any other information the student would like considered as part of the application. The essay must not exceed 500 words and must be typed.
 • Provide an official, signed copy of school transcripts.
 • Include two written recommendations from the applicant’s instructors, employers, community leaders and/or other significant adults who are unrelated to the applicant and in a position to comment on his/her abilities, character, personality and commitment to education and healthcare. The letters must include name, occupation, phone number, and signature of the person writing the reference letter. Letters should be submitted with the application.