Genesis Health Care launches scholarship
(From left to right): April Cone, DNP, MSN, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor/Nursing Academic Program Manager, USC Beaufort/USC Salkehatchie; Kayla Robertson, scholarship recipient; Howard Nettles, Genesis Health Care Director of Community Outreach and Recruiting. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Genesis Health Care, a nonprofit, federally qualified health center serving the Pee Dee and Colleton County areas, announces its partnership with the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie. Joining forces to improve the health of their communities and enrich the lives of those who surround them, this partnership has hit the ground running. In partnership with USC Salkehatchie, Genesis Health Care announces the first recipient of the Genesis Health Care Scholarship for pre-nursing and nursing students, Kayla Robertson. A mother of two boys, ages 7 and 12, Robertson has worked in the healthcare field for 11 years as a certified pharmacy technician. Inspired by the care her father received while facing health problems of his own, she decided to embark on a new educational journey that would allow her to move beyond the retail environment and make a profound difference in her community by pursuing a nursing career. “The nursing profession needs more compassionate, driven hands to care for others in our community. I enjoy helping others and cannot wait to make a difference,” Robertson said. With the program’s six-year, 100 percent NCLEX-RN pass rate coupled with the close proximity to her home and family, USC Salkehatchie was the perfect fit for Robertson. Through their dedicated staff and academic opportunities, she can receive the best possible training without leaving her community. “I am aware that nursing school is very demanding and challenging, but I am up for the challenge,” Robertson said. As an organization centered around community enrichment, Genesis strives for ways to make a meaningful impact. This scholarship, awarded in September, will provide funds to be used for the 2021-2022 academic year. Additional funds will be forthcoming in January 2022 for the same purpose of serving these students. The funds are intended for spendable scholarship awards and will be distributed in full each academic year in order to further educational excellence and foster a community in which everyone has the opportunity to grow and give back. Genesis is honored to watch Robertson grow both personally and professionally through USC Salkehatchie’s nursing program. Helping our community is at the very core of what we do at Genesis. For more information about the Genesis Health Care Scholarship and the nursing program at USC Salkehatchie visit uscsalkehatchie.sc.edu.