This fall, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) and Doyon, Limited made a significant contribution to the Doyon Foundation health scholarship fund, with a goal to support Alaska Native students in pursuing careers in the important and quickly growing healthcare field. We are already seeing a tangible difference in the lives of students who are passionately pursuing careers in the healthcare field.
With TCC and Doyon’s gift, this fall, we were able to provide competitive scholarships to all of our eligible students in healthcare-focused programs, including five undergraduate students, two graduate students and two doctoral students. In addition, the donation funded 39 basic scholarships to students studying health-related fields during the fall 2021 semester.
“With my master’s degree in social work, I hope to help underserved populations in healthcare settings. I have always been passionate about this population and can’t wait to make a difference in their lives. I am really grateful for this financial support.”
– Teresa Nix, graduate student at Arizona State University Online, expects to graduate in summer 2023
TCC and Doyon’s support is also allowing us to open up our competitive scholarship application period to students for the spring 2022 semester. Typically, students are only able to apply for a competitive scholarship once during the academic year, in the fall. However, with the additional funds, we will be able to award additional competitive scholarships to full-time health students who want to attend school in spring 2022.
“After graduation, I hope to practice clinical nutrition in Alaska and work to reduce health disparities within Native populations. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve had from Doyon Foundation and the scholarship program. It has helped me a lot during my time both in undergrad and now in graduate school,”
– Alexa Prass, public health nutrition, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Not only are these scholarships helping forward the education of students already in health programs, they are also a catalyst for those who have been interested in healthcare careers, but didn’t have the resources to begin – or finish – their education.
“My goal is to become a midwife and assist Alaska Native/American Indian families from rural or urban communities. I am very appreciative knowing I am going into this school year with support from my regional corporation and donors. I was very nervous starting college, trying to figure out how to pay everything. I was even doubting if school was a good option, financially. I am so privileged and grateful to be awarded scholarships that will pay for my tuition and more.”
– Ermelina Gonzalez, freshman in the pre-nursing program, University of Alaska Anchorage
Please join us in saying “thank you” to TCC and Doyon for their investment in our students today – and the important care they will provide in the future.