Southwestern College’s Vocational Nursing Program greeted thirty new students at the start of the semester on Monday, August 12 with a special back-to-school present: paid tuition.
On the first day of class, students at the Chula Vista campus came ready to be greeted by senior director of nursing and healthcare occupations program, Samantha Girard, and they received more than words of encouragement.
“We’re delighted to tell you that your tuition for this entire program will be fully covered,” Girard announced.
“In addition, each of you will receive your very first monogrammed stethoscope, a symbol of the journey you’re beginning today.”
At Southwestern College’s nursing program, students receive a hands-on training approach designed to foster equity in healthcare. The program also offers a state-of-the-art lab and supervised clinical experience.
Through the Guy and Olive Lookabaugh foundation, all participants in Southwestern’s nursing program will now receive a donation of $2,400 to support them during the three-semester program.
The foundation was established in 2018 to provide scholarships to deserving students who plan to study geriatrics or elder care in the medical or social services fields, aligning with Southwestern’s focus on increasing the number of qualified nurses for California’s aging and diverse population.
Many Southwestern students go on to complete their clinical placements in local assisted living facilities and gain hands-on experience in eldercare, the school said.
Dianne Lookabaugh, the board president for the foundation who was in attendance with another representative, Tom Lookabaugh, shared that they chose Southwestern due to the diverse needs of the students in the program.
“A lot of them need the financial help. A lot of them are first time college students and maybe single mothers, maybe second careers,” said Lookabaugh.
“I felt like, oh, we finally connected with the kind of people we want to help and and we had enough funds that we could just support the whole program instead of having to pick and choose.”
Ashley Davis, one of the recipients, was excited about the news . “That’s a huge stress relief. It just feels good. It’s hard to explain,” she said. “This is going to extremely, positively impact everybody here. It’s very exciting; it’s a very good start. It’s a very good day right now.”
Diane Lookabaugh also announced that the next two cohorts of students will also receive aid from the foundation.
