2008 Woodie Awards
Nursing provides life support
Campus: Nursing students receive large scholarships
By: John Sakata
Issue date: 12/4/03 Section: City News
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Susan Blackman expected to get the Torrance Memorial Hospital scholarship, but despite that, when she heard the news she cried.
"I cried for a long time. Going to school since 2001 and living off of savings it came in very, very handy. I cried for a very long time," said Black man, respiratory major.
The only scholarship recipient focusing on respiratory care, and competing against 52 students from community colleges across Southern California, Blackman, Joseph Ruiz and Kimberly Johnston were each awarded $5,000 scholarships by Torrance Memorial Hospital.
"I was pretty sure that I would get the scholarship because of my high grade point average and because I was able to write a good essay that would express my ability to do a good job in this field," Blackman said.
Blackman, a former waitress and book clerk, returned to school in 2001 to pursue a career in healthcare.
Funded by Las Amigas, a Torrance Memorial support group, and through fundraisers setup by the hospital, the scholarship looks for students interested in entering the health care field and the scholarship will continue into next year.
"Some of what we were looking for was a commitment to (the health care profession)," said Kathryn Joiner, liaison for community programs at Torrance Memorial Hospital.
We looked at past coursework and paid a lot of attention to letters of recommendation from counselors from the schools."
After submitting her application, Blackman was told that she would receive a telephone call. The phone call would be for an interview in front of a panel of Torrance Memorial officials if she was one of the finalists.
"I was honestly looking forward to the interview process. They told us when we applied they would call, us by a certain day. When they didn't call I didn't think I would win," Blackman said.
Or so she thought. But when they informed her that the interview process was only for borderline recipients, and she found out that had received the scholarship, she cried.
"I cried for a long time. Going to school since 2001 and living off of savings it came in very, very handy. I cried for a very long time," said Black man, respiratory major.
The only scholarship recipient focusing on respiratory care, and competing against 52 students from community colleges across Southern California, Blackman, Joseph Ruiz and Kimberly Johnston were each awarded $5,000 scholarships by Torrance Memorial Hospital.
"I was pretty sure that I would get the scholarship because of my high grade point average and because I was able to write a good essay that would express my ability to do a good job in this field," Blackman said.
Blackman, a former waitress and book clerk, returned to school in 2001 to pursue a career in healthcare.
Funded by Las Amigas, a Torrance Memorial support group, and through fundraisers setup by the hospital, the scholarship looks for students interested in entering the health care field and the scholarship will continue into next year.
"Some of what we were looking for was a commitment to (the health care profession)," said Kathryn Joiner, liaison for community programs at Torrance Memorial Hospital.
We looked at past coursework and paid a lot of attention to letters of recommendation from counselors from the schools."
After submitting her application, Blackman was told that she would receive a telephone call. The phone call would be for an interview in front of a panel of Torrance Memorial officials if she was one of the finalists.
"I was honestly looking forward to the interview process. They told us when we applied they would call, us by a certain day. When they didn't call I didn't think I would win," Blackman said.
Or so she thought. But when they informed her that the interview process was only for borderline recipients, and she found out that had received the scholarship, she cried.