Stories of Impact

Once a Nurse, Always a Nurse

Ginny Perez, —56, needed financial assistance in order to attend nursing school at Saint Luke's. In fact, she had no idea how she was going to manage paying tuition while enrolling as a full-time student, until she was the recipient of the alumni scholarship.

"The night before I moved into the nurses' dorm, I received a special delivery letter, informing me that I had been granted the full three-year scholarship from Saint Luke's alumni," Ginny recalls. "Receiving that scholarship changed my life."

Ginny graduated in 1956 and entered the field right away. "I realized that as I worked with nurses from other schools, I was lucky to have had my training from some of the best teachers at Saint Luke's," she says.

Ginny is now retired from nursing, but her passion for caring for others continues. Her desire to provide educational opportunities for future nursing students is important to her, so much so that Ginny named Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Rockhurst University in her will. Because she was a scholarship recipient, Ginny wishes to return the favor.

"I am so proud of being a Saint Luke's graduate and as they say, —Once a nurse, always a nurse.' Leaving a legacy to help deserving young women and men have an opportunity to get a nursing education from the school that I admire so much and feel so indebted to is the responsible thing to do. I could never repay the opportunity that came my way, and to be able to help someone with their goals and ambitions is very gratifying."

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