Kaitlyn Marks is grateful for her time in the Virginia Henderson Scholars Program, a partnership between the Centra Virginia Henderson Institute of Clinical Excellence and local academic partners.
Kaitlyn Marks finds joy and satisfaction in helping people, which makes a career in nursing a particularly good fit.
“I always knew I wanted to become a nurse,” she said. “I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare because of the potential impact on patients and their families as they experience some of their hardest days.”
Gifts through the Centra Foundation helped Kaitlyn realize her dreams, remain local and be prepared to provide the highest level of care.
While attending Centra College, she applied and was selected to be a part of the prestigious Virginia Henderson Scholars Program, a partnership between the Centra Virginia Henderson Institute of Clinical Excellence and local academic partners.
The program aims to attract and retain the highest quality nursing students and new graduate nurse scholars to foster their development into highly engaged, committed Centra Caregivers who are prepared to give back to the nursing profession and the community at large.
In 2023, the Centra Foundation committed $600,000 to the program.
“I saw that being a part of the program would give me yet another opportunity to learn from and expand my knowledge within the healthcare setting,” Kaitlyn said, adding that participating helped to shape her perspective on nursing and the clinical experience.
An internship is an important part of the experience.
“I started my internship on the Medical Intensive Care Unit before graduating nursing school,” Kaitlyn said. “I found that the opportunity has helped me feel more comfortable before jumping into my new role in the ICU at Lynchburg General.”
Each student in her cohort made a commitment to continue their journey into the nursing profession at Centra.
Kaitlyn is grateful for the experience.
“This opportunity has had a major impact on my personal journey to becoming a registered nurse,” she said. “With all sincerity, thank you! I am looking forward to staying within the Intensive Care Unit at Centra Lynchburg General Hospital.”
Gifts to the Greatest Need Fund support aspiring Caregivers like Kaitlyn.
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