Phoenixville, PA -- The Greater Phoenixville Healthcare Scholarship Program has been providing college scholarships since 1995. Since then nearly eighty-five scholarships have been awarded to high school graduates pursuing health-related careers.

All graduating seniors who are pursuing careers in a health care related field of study are eligible to apply. The program draws from the Phoenixville Hospital service area that includes Great Valley, Methacton, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville, Pottsgrove and Spring-Ford School Districts, as well as CAT Pickering, St. Pius X and the Western Center for Technical Studies. This year eighteen students applied for the scholarships representing Methacton, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville and Spring-Ford high schools and six scholarships were awarded.

Rachel M. Drzewicki of Royersford will graduate from Spring-Ford High School and will be attending Gwynedd-Mercy College majoring in Nursing. “The nursing profession is more than a career to me. It is a vocation. It is my opportunity to serve. Yes, I want to be a nurse – the best nurse possible!”

Emily M. Fuertsch of Pottstown will graduate from Owen J. Roberts High School and will be attending Temple University majoring in Kinesiology. “As an athlete, I owe my well-being to exercise, medicine and the continuing studies involving the human body. It is for this reason that I chose to major in Kinesiology – the study of human movement. It is my dream to help other people live the best life they possibly can”

Samantha J. Moyer of Collegeville will graduate from Methacton High School and will be attending King’s College studying to be a Physician Assistant. “I am going into medicine because I have seen, through personal and volunteer experiences, how rewarding it can be. Pursuing a career in medicine is what I will find rewarding and I know I am up for the challenge.”

Chelsea Wilkins of Royersford will graduate from Spring-Ford High School and will be attending Drexel University with a nursing major. “My experience with having cancer, along with my volunteer experience, has made me more mature than my peers and have inspired me to appreciate all that life has to offer. I’m interested in becoming a nurse practitioner specializing in Pediatric Oncology and I look forward to starting my education to fulfill my dream.”

Michele Wisely of Phoenixville is graduating from Phoenixville Area High School and will be attending Franciscan University majoring in Nursing. “I would like to pursue a career in nursing. I aspire to be not only a caregiver, but one who makes a positive difference in the world. The reward of a career in health care comes from knowing that I am putting forth my best effort for the sake of the individuals I hope to soon care for.”

Katherine Young of Zieglerville is graduating from Perkiomen Valley High School and will be attending LaSalle University majoring in Nursing. “All of my past experiences have aided me in the decision of pursuing a career in nursing so that I can take all that I have learned and someday give back to the community as a professionally competent healthcare provider.”

These 2010 scholarships are funded by the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, the Phoenixville Hospital and the Phoenixville Hospital Medical Staff Association – six scholarships in all. All scholarships are $8,000 payable over four years.

Lynn Pike Hartman, Senior Program Officer of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation facilitated the Scholarship Selection Committee activities. The Committee was comprised of representatives from the scholarship partners: Amy Barto, Frank Cirone, Timothy Durkin and John Giannone from the Foundation Board of Directors; and, Dr. Kevin Kramer and Dr. James Guille from the Phoenixville Hospital Medical Staff Association.