St. Catherine Hospital Auxiliary Awards $21,000 to Area Students

St. Catherine Hospital Auxiliary Awards $21,000 to Area Students

Twenty area students pursuing a higher education degree in healthcare have been named recipients of the St. Catherine Hospital Auxiliary scholarship program for the 2018-19 academic school year. A total of $21,000 was distributed to the students during an afternoon reception at the hospital, 4321 Fir St., in East Chicago.

Nineteen students received scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. Cristina Torres was the recipient of the $2,000 Maryann Chevigny Scholarship Award, named for a former president of the auxiliary.

In addition, Kathy Wrzalinski, RN, systems Quality & Regulatory manager, was presented with the Jo Ann Birdzell Scholarship award. Named in honor of Birdzell, who retired as CEO in 2016, the scholarship is presented to an employee who is pursing education to advance their career in healthcare. Wrzalinski is pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare administration.

Leo Correa, CEO, thanked the auxiliary for their fund raising efforts to make the scholarship awards a reality each year. He congratulated students on their decision to pursue a healthcare career.

“Healthcare is a rewarding field, and there is a definite need for an infusion of healthcare providers,” he said.

Correa reminded students of how hard parents work to put their children through school. Scholarships like these have helped many achieve their dream to get a job in healthcare, he said.

“It starts here,” he said. “It’s our hope that you will return to St. Catherine Hospital as healthcare professionals dedicated to provide extraordinary care to our diverse population.”

Auxiliary scholarship funds are generated through Auxiliary Gift Shop sales, the Wings of Healing program and special events. Students who live in East Chicago, Hammond and Whiting/Robertsdale, maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher, write an essay and demonstrate civic or community mindedness can apply. Applicants can also be descendants of auxiliary members, St. Catherine Hospital employees or Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana employees based at St. Catherine Hospital.

The $1,000 scholarship award recipients for 2018-19 are: Lorena Alanis, Ciara Bolden, Katie Bonilla, Guadalupe Garcia, Alejandra Perez, LeAndrea Rainey, Michael Sinchar, III, Ahmee’L Taylor and Alyssia Verlinden, all nursing; Alexandra Danielides, speech pathology; Brendan Jones, neuroscience; Jasmine Malagon, radiography; Yasmeen Muhammad, pre-medicine; Ghenella Saliano, pharmacy; Eliana Sanchez, psychology; Fareesa Siddiqui, optometry; Owais Siddiqui and Kai Simmons, both biology; and Alyssa Uribe, radiology.

To learn more about St. Catherine Hospital, one of three hospitals in Community Healthcare System, visit: comhs.org/st.catherinehospital