A Brenau University student pursuing a degree in nursing was recently awarded the inaugural First In Family scholarship by the Foothills Area Health Education Center.
Yareli Aguilar is this year's scholarship recipient. She is a first-generation student at Brenau who wants to pursue nursing because of the fast-paced environment.
“Being a first-generation student means that all the sacrifices that I have made throughout the years are finally paying off,” said Aguilar. “It [nursing] allows you to not only treat patients but also have a significant impact on their lives.”
The scholarship is awarded to students who are the first people in their families to pursue higher education in health care.
“We are committed to helping students in our region attain health careers that will ultimately grow and support our diverse healthcare workforce here in Northeast Georgia,” Missy Lochstampfor, director of Foothills AHEC said in a press release. “We felt this scholarship was a good starting point. I’m happy to say we received close to 60 applications this year, which reinforced to us there is a great need, and we plan to continue offering it every year.”
Foothills AHEC is an organization that partners with communities to recruit, train and retain healthcare professionals in the region and to improve their supply and distribution in medically underserved areas, ultimately improving the health of the citizens.
