We are pleased to share that the Maxim Charitable Foundation has awarded the  Future of Healthcare Scholarship for 2024! The Maxim Charitable Foundation (MCF) is a non-profit foundation that assists employees of Maxim Healthcare Services and Amergis and other local communities through fundraising and donations. The Social Justice Committee of MCF supports the next generation of healthcare professionals by awarding various scholarships annually.

This year, the committee awarded ten scholarships to high school graduates, current college students and non-traditional students pursuing healthcare education. Maxim’s Chief Executive Officer Jarrod DePriest commented, “Continuing to provide comprehensive, compassionate healthcare is dependent on our future workforce. At Maxim, we believe we have a role in supporting our aspiring caregivers, one opportunity to do so through our Future of Healthcare Scholarship program.”

In this post, we will share the stories of three of this year’s winners.

Keila Romero Mendoza

Pursuing associate degree in nursing

Keila is an East Coast Polytechnic Institute (ECPI) student pursing her associate degree in nursing. Keila and her family came to the U.S. from El Salvador when she was a kid, and as a first-generation college student, she strives to lead by example for her little sisters. During her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves, which provided her the opportunity to become a licensed vocational nurse (LPN) by the time she was just 19 years old.

She takes classes at ECPI during the day and works nursing shifts at night to help pay for her tuition. In addition, Keila volunteers at the American Red Cross and in mass immunization events on base for soldiers and their families. Keila says, “This scholarship…would alleviate the financial burden of paying for tuition all on my own, allowing me to focus more on my studies and less on financial stress.”

Keila plans to pursue a master’s degree to expand her scope of practice and ability to care for others. Her greatest professional aspiration is to work with humanitarian groups in underserved countries, including her home country of El Salvador, where access to proper healthcare is limited.

Max McAllister

Pursuing accelerated bachelor’s to master’s degree in nursing

Max is a former Maxim Behavior Technician who is currently pursuing an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program at the University of Pennsylvania. He says, “My experience with Maxim gave me the exposure and confidence I needed to apply to nursing school.”

Max’s professional goal is to return to his hometown in San Francisco, CA, to provide psychiatric, mental health and behavioral support care to underserved communities. In 2022, he had the opportunity to shadow a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who was serving the homeless population in San Francisco. He said that it “profoundly influenced my understanding of holistic patient care and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Witnessing the PMHNP’s seamless integration of psychiatric health with considerations of financial and social stability deeply resonated with my own aspirations in the field.”

Nia Ahart

Pursuing doctorate of physical therapy

Nia is a student at the University of Michigan – Flint pursing her doctorate of physical therapy. Formerly a Division I women’s basketball player, Nia has said that her involvement with sports growing up piqued her interest in PT, but her personal experiences enduring sports-related injuries further pushed her to explore the field.

At UM-Flint, Nia volunteers as a student physical therapist and is the co-founder and president of the Wolverine BIPOC Healthcare Collective club. In addition, she coaches basketball to girls in the foster care system in the summer, works as a rehabilitation tech at a local hospital, is a member of the Rizing Tide community and American Physical Therapy Association, and is in the process of getting her research published.

Nia explained that she strives for diversity in physical therapy, “It’s my goal to use my PT degree, my cultural identity and my personal experience to forge a career in sports.” Her ultimate career goal is to open a community center and clinic in her hometown of Detroit, MI, to combine healthcare with community outreach. Receiving this scholarship allowed Nia to reduce her loan amounts and hours she spends working, so she can focus more on her studies.

Empowering healthcare’s future leaders

Every year, the SJC awards scholarships that can be used for tuition, course costs, on-campus housing expenses and books. Awardees are selected based on a variety of factors including academic performance, extracurricular activities, community service, a written essay, and financial need.

 

*Scholarship recipient names and photos used with permission*