Sonya Vann just started school at Research College of Nursing. After many years of service to others in different venues, she’s thought about how her past is meeting the present.
“I always found a sense of gratification in serving others. I could not think of a better way of doing this than becoming a nurse.”
After graduating high school, she immediately enlisted in the United States Navy. During her service, she became a petty officer third class hospital corpsman – a military nurse. Sonya has also worked as a licensed practical nurse. In both roles, she served others. And both roles created a desire to continue serving others as a registered nurse. During her time in the Navy, she developed core values that she’ll utilize as a nurse like initiative, accountability, integrity, toughness, selflessness, determination, and a willingness to learn.
“These attributes have been with me on this journey and play key roles in how I interact with patient’s, their families, and my co-workers. Anyone I come across gets my respect, understanding and a willingness to do my best so they can be their best.”
Sonya has seen patients suffer from gunshot wounds, battle diseases, and cope with terrible news. But she’s also celebrated with patients as a wound has healed or they’ve completed their final chemotherapy treatment.
These experiences taught Sonya about sacrifice. She is a 40-year-old, single mother of three teenage boys. Being by a patient’s side has forced her to spend time away from them. Nursing school comes with a demanding schedule and even more sacrifice.
“My sons see me striving for success and in return makes them do the same. It’s imperative that we appreciate the people in our lives that continue to understand our commitment to bettering the lives of others and cheering for us to complete our journey. They motivate, support, and love me despite the uncertainties of what the next two years of nursing school are going to look like.”
As she gets settled in at Research College of Nursing, she remains the sole breadwinner for her three boys. Her work hours are reduced and providing for her family is top of mind. The Research Foundation awarded Sonya the Research Medical Center Medical Staff Scholarship, the Teresa Hiestand Hofbauer Scholarship, and the Research Royal Nursing Scholarship for a combined total of $16,200 in scholarship funds.
“Since I heard that I was the recipient of these scholarships, I have cried many happy tears. I am overwhelmed with joy to know that people that do not know me support me. This alone not only gives me strength to walk across the stage and become an RN, but also motivates me to support a scholarship like the one I received.
Thanks to donors who support nursing scholarships, Sonya can pursue a career in what she does best – serve others.
