Above (L-R): Faye McNeil, George Regional Hospital Auxiliary president; Angele Hertzke, MGCCC nursing student and recipient of the annual George Regional Hospital Auxiliary scholarship; and Sherry James, nursing instructor at the Perkinston Campus.

The George Regional Hospital Auxiliary awarded its annual scholarship to Angele Hertzke, a Level Two nursing student at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus.

Sherry James, Perkinston Campus nursing instructor, said Hertzke, who is from Lucedale, was chosen for the scholarship because “she lives in George County, has a desire to work at George Regional Hospital after graduation, is very successful in the nursing program and exhibits great nursing qualities.”

“Angele is a great student and a pleasure to teach,” James added. “She exhibits exemplary nursing qualities such as accountability, responsibility, kindness, respect, and a willingness to work and learn. She was in my clinical group this past semester and was often given multiple positive comments by hospital staff on her performance during the clinical rotation.  She never wanted to leave when the clinical day was done, which is very rare after a long 12-hour day on a medical-surgical unit. That’s why it was so exciting to invite her to the auxiliary luncheon on April 12, where she was surprised with the scholarship.”

Hertzke has one more year to complete the nursing program. The $1,000 scholarship will help pay for tuition and many of the nursing texts and materials she is required to have for levels three and four.

“It can be costly to purchase all of the supplies needed in a nursing program, and this scholarship will help with that tremendously,” Hertzke said. “It was such a pleasant surprise to be chosen for the award and to know how much it will help me with expenses.”

Referencing her time at the hospital during her clinicals, Hertzke said that receiving the scholarship from the hospital auxiliary was a blessing. “My clinical experience at George Regional was, in all honesty, the best clinical experience I have had since I started the nursing program,” she said. “I was genuinely surprised to have been able to learn so much from a smaller hospital. At George Regional, I have been able to check off many of my clinical skills that I was unable to experience at other hospitals. Mrs. James was sure to allow us to get as much hands-on experience as we could during our clinical days. The staff nurses at George Regional were incredible, and the amount of passion they each have for their jobs made me push harder to be the best nurse that I know I can be.”