First year nursing student, Ebony Beauchamp, will be honored in a banquet on Sat., April 18 as one of 11 recipients of the prestigious Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Scholarship. The award, which helps cover tuition, books and related academic expenditures for students of African heritage, will help ensure her success in pursuing an RN degree at Shoreline.
Named for the first nurse of color to graduate in the U.S. in 1879, the scholarship is awarded by the Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization, which was established to “provide information and support one another, and to provide scholarship support to students pursuing education and careers in nursing.”
It’s an organization that interests Beauchamp well beyond the financial aid they’ve awarded her. “I like what the organization stands for, and I definitely want to join once I graduate,” she said. “They’re involved in the community, they provide mentors who truly understand the needs of students and they create opportunities for up and coming nurses while remaining adaptable and understanding of how challenging modern nursing is becoming.”
Beauchamp is a first-generation college student, and thus was on her own to navigate the many opportunities available in the medical field and which college program might best fit her needs. She landed at Shoreline because of its reputation as one of the top nursing schools in the area and, thanks to the supportive faculty and rigorous training, she knew she’d be thoroughly prepared to enter the medical profession.
While Beauchamp originally considered becoming an OB/GYN doctor, after her months of research she decided on nursing because the role would allow her to spend more one-on-one time with patients than she would get as an MD. Now in her third quarter, Beauchamp plans to continue her education beyond Shoreline and earn a Doctor of Nursing (DNP) degree specializing in labor and delivery.
The Mary Mahoney scholarship is a key component in helping move Beauchamp forward in her dream of becoming a DNP. “This scholarship is so important because, not only will it help me finish school,” she said, “but it also supports the African American community as a whole by offering more entry points into a field in which people of African heritage are underrepresented.”
“This scholarship is great too in that it makes examples of African American nursing students for those who come next,” Beauchamp continued. “To let anyone considering a career in nursing know there is support and that this organization celebrates us and keeps us moving forward.”
The relationship between the Mary Mahoney Nurses Organization and Shoreline is equally valuable, Beauchamp said. “I appreciate Shoreline bringing these opportunities to students and making sure we know about them. It’s important for Shoreline to keep strong ties with these professional organizations because both entities play such an integral role in nursing students’ success as future medical professionals.”