Kennett Scholarship Reception

The Sequoia Hospital Foundation was honored to celebrate the eight recipients of the 2020 Dr. William Kennett Memorial Nursing Scholarship awards at an evening reception on January 23, 2020. The event, which also recognized the generous donors who made their scholarships possible, brought together leaders from throughout the community, the Foundation and hospital boards, San Francisco State University, clinical educators, alumni recipients and friends and family of this year’s recipients.

The evening’s scholarships, totaling $100,000 were granted in Dr. Kennett’s name and in the name of the individual awards’ sponsors. Since the program’s inception in 2005, 106 scholarships have been granted for a total of $1,152,000 in support of education for the next generation of community nurses.

Before the awarding of the scholarships, Gloria Kennett addressed the evening’s guests to talk about the history of the scholarship program as well as her late husband, Dr. William Kennett for whom it is named. Mary Ann van Dam, RN, PhD, PNP, Director of the San Francisco State University School of Nursing, spoke briefly about the students’ education and training before each student was given the opportunity to share their thoughts.

Our 2020 recipients are Maurice Brady (Dr. Kennett Memorial Scholarship), Jenna Fox (Dr. Kennett Memorial Scholarship), Victor Hsia (Dr. Kennett Memorial Scholarship), Victoria Tse (Robert and Sue O’Donnell Scholarship), Nicole Koning (Have a Ball Foundation Scholarship), Manraj Beasla (Danford Foundation Scholarship), Melissa Ausanka-Crues (Danford Foundation Scholarship/Uccelli Foundation Scholarship) and Carolyn McBirney (Berdine and Cliff Jernigan Scholarship).