ABWA awards scholarship
Special to The Gazette
Monday, August 10, 2009
Earning a college degree just became a little easier for Emporia nursing student, Callie Koehn, who received a $500 scholarship from the Emporia Charter chapter of American Business Women’s Association.
“I am very grateful for this scholarship,” said Koehn. “I am anxious to be spending more time with patients next semester because I just love working in the hospital.”
Koehn expects to graduate from the Emporia State University Newman Division of Nursing in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She was home-schooled at her home in Chase County through the eighth grade then graduated from Chase County High School in 2007. She is an active member of her nursing class and a volunteer for Hand In Hand Hospice.
Tes Mehring, provost and vice president for academic affairs and student life at Emporia State University, presented the program at the June 16 evening meeting. Mehring and two other faculty members recently escorted a group of 17 ESU students on a three-week intensely educational trip to Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. The trip was a capstone study abroad experience in the leadership minor program at ESU. The students met with one of the leaders of Estonia, attended lectures at several universities and made presentations to students in sixteen high schools.
“This trip was a life-changing experience for each of the students.” said Mehring “Experiencing the differences of teaching practices in the European universities, visiting the concentration camps and trying the cuisine of the various countries and cultures certainly stretched their comfort zones.”
The Emporia Charter Chapter of ABWA is a member of the national educational association and was established in 1977. The current membership of approximately 20 represents a variety of occupations and companies in the Lyon County area. The chapter has given more than $50,000 in higher education scholarships to area students. They members are currently working toward funding a fully endowed scholarship housed in the Foundation at Emporia State University. The club has also contributed over $90,000 to local and community organizations and causes. Because of these efforts, the club received the JCPenney Golden Rule Award in 1998.