Baylor University's School Of Nursing Raises More Than $35,000 For Student Scholarships Through Annual Giving Day
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Contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275
WACO, Texas (Oct. 16, 2012) -- Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing received more than $35,000 in donations on the Communities Foundation of Texas' annual North Texas Giving Day Sept. 13. This year, 78 donors made gifts to the nursing school during the online event.
"These gifts enable our students to receive financial assistance so they can attend school in an environment where faith and learning are combined," said Dr. Shelley Conroy, dean of Baylor's nursing school.
The support raised on North Texas Giving Day and throughout the year works to address the increasing cost of higher education by providing student scholarships.
"We believe our students are called into nursing, and it sometimes can be a real dilemma trying to settle their finances," said David Kemerling, director of student ministries at the nursing school. "These gifts enable students to move forward with less anxiety as they start their careers."
"As we prepare to become nurses, we are learning to give time, attention and effort to those who need it most," said Baylor junior nursing major Katie Holden of Tulsa, Okla. "Giving to the nursing school helps us learn to help others - a lesson we will use throughout our careers."
As North Texas Giving Day continues to raise awareness of the needs of the North Texas area, supporters of the nursing school hope more people will become involved with the event.
"I think Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing is one of the most important organizations to which you could make a gift," said Mike Jones, a nursing school donor. "This school produces nurses who are dedicated to Christian ideals and the mission of Christ, and nothing can have a greater impact on the world than that."
Residing in the heart of Dallas, Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing serves upper-division students who transfer to the Dallas campus to finish their nursing degree after completing basics at the university's main campus in Waco.
North Texas Giving Day is sponsored by Communities Foundation of Texas, which links donors and nonprofit organizations and works to create innovative solutions to community issues. Through the DonorBridge website, donors contributed to their favorite nonprofits, and their gifts were partially matched. Throughout the day, nearly 30,000 people donated to various nonprofits, raising a total of $14.4 million across 927 organizations.
"Through this day, we are able to reach some of our donors who are not able to give a lot, but if we have many donors who give $25, it makes a difference," said Janis Kovar, director of development for the nursing school. "It's just a great day for the nonprofits in the area."
Compared to last year, North Texas Giving Day nearly tripled the number of donations. The amount of money raised broke all records for individual donations and total money raised in a single giving day event. The funds will be used to benefit the people of the North Texas area, including the students at Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
ABOUT LOUISE HERRINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING
The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first bachelor of science in nursing degrees were awarded in 1954, establishing the school as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. In 1999, the school was renamed the Louise Herrington School of Nursing after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor Alumna Honoris Causa, made a $13 million endowment gift to the school. The School of Nursing offers a bachelor of science degree in nursing and master of science degrees in advanced neonatal nursing, nursing administration and management, and family nurse practitioner programs, which are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Louise Herrington School of Nursing also offers a nurse midwifery doctorate in nursing practice.