Harshjot Kaur Singh ’17, ’19 never questioned going back to school to become a nurse. For over four years, Harshjot has been working as a patient care technician in the intensive care unit at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s. The connections she has made with the nurses that she works with inspired Harshjot to continue her education in nursing.

“I have a lot of respect for all the nurses that I work with,” said Harshjot. “They come from different backgrounds and different scopes of nursing. It really inspired me to go back and be a nurse.”

Harshjot graduated from Grand Valley in 2017 with a major in allied health. When deciding where to go to continue her education, she knew her alma mater had the program and atmosphere she needed to succeed.

“My favorite aspect of Grand Valley’s nursing program is that we’re located right in the middle of the Medical Mile. With so many hospitals in our region, we can easily get to our clinical rotations, and make connections where we want to continue our clinical practice,” she said.

As a first-generation student, paying her way through school was not easy. Receiving the Helene Fuld Health Trust Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Endowed Scholarship has made a significant impact on Harshjot life.

“When I found out I received the scholarship, I burst into tears,” said Harshjot. “I was stressed about how I would pay my way through school. I was hugging my mom and crying on her shoulder—it was the biggest relief ever.”

The Helene Fuld Health Trust is the nation’s largest private funder, devoted exclusively to nursing students and nursing education. Thanks to its generous support to Grand Valley, students like Harshjot are receiving the financial support they need to continue their education through the Kirkhof College of Nursing’s Accelerated Second Degree Baccalaureate Nursing Program.

“If my scholarship donor were here right now, I’d definitely thank them for giving me this opportunity to excel in the nursing profession,” she said. “This scholarship allowed me to cut down on hours at work, study more, and focus more on the things a student should be focusing on.”

Since graduation, Harshjot has transitioned her role at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and is now caring for patients as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit.

“I would like my Laker Effect to practice nursing and continue to provide care to the vulnerable population in this region,” she said.