As the new school year approaches, we took a moment last week at the Foundation Social to honor the bright minds shaping the future of healthcare in our community. The evening was a celebration of McKee Wellness Foundation’s newest scholarship recipients, a recognition of the current scholarship recipients who are starting another school year, and a heartfelt acknowledgment of the 2024 scholarship graduates.

This year, we were proud to celebrate recipients from three of the scholarship programs:

• Marge Schafer Nursing Scholarship: Created in honor of Marge Schafer, RN, this scholarship provides essential support to a deserving nursing student in the Northern Colorado community. While Marge and her husband Don were unable to attend due to a prior commitment, they sent their best wishes to everyone.

• Marcellus Scholarship: Funded in memory of Florence Marcellus, this scholarship supports a high school senior or adult learner pursuing a healthcare-related field.

• Banner NoCO Scholarship: This scholarship recognizes the contributions of staff members who help build our Northern Colorado community. It assists employees of any Northern Colorado Banner Health facility, or their immediate family members, in furthering their education.

Commitment to Success
The mission of the Foundation is to set students up for success throughout their academic journeys. As long as scholarship recipients maintain their commitments to the Foundation, we distribute their awards annually until they complete their degree programs.

To retain scholarship support each year, recipients must:

• Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA and stay on track to graduate within their program’s projected timeframe.
• Provide the Foundation with their college transcripts.
• Hold a paid position or participate in an extracurricular activity during the academic year.
• Regularly update the Foundation on their progress.

For a glimpse into the thoughts and reflections of the graduates, be sure to watch this video featuring their inspiring words. 

We are immensely proud of all the scholarship recipients and graduates, and we look forward to watching them continue to excel in their academic and professional endeavors.