MAT-SU HEALTH FOUNDATION AWARDS $250,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO 67 LOCAL STUDENTS

Wasilla, Alaska –The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) recently awarded 67 scholarships totaling $250,000 to residents of the Mat-Su Borough pursuing health related careers. MSHF scholarships are intended to help defray the cost of higher education and encourage Mat-Su residents to complete a degree or certificate program that emphasizes health and/or wellness. MSHF believes that this investment in the education of Mat-Su residents will help to build the healthcare workforce of the future and an engaged citizenship with a higher capacity to address the health-related challenges impacting Mat-Su and Alaska.

Scholarships were awarded based on the merit of each applicant meeting MSHF’s eligibility criteria, which included clarity of health care career goals and the value of those goals to the health care community; an essay describing each applicant’s 5-7 year plan and how it ties in with MSHF’s goal to help Mat-Su become the healthiest borough in the US; an interview; and unmet financial need.

Two scholarships were given in honor of revered and respected former employees of Valley Hospital. The Annie Demming Scholarship was awarded to Maryann Zmuda. This scholarship is given in honor of Annie Demming, who served as Director of the Medical Records Department for Valley Hospital and retired after 28 years of service. The Vivian Shaver Scholarship was awarded to Renee Vingoe. This scholarship is given in honor of Vivian “Babe” Shaver, who worked at Valley Hospital and died in 1978.

The complete list of 2013 MSHF scholarship recipients follows:

Corey Ambrose
Kathryn Applin
Lucinda Archibald
Brian Ashmore
Diana Berezhkova
Brent Beaman
Christina Bernier
Karry Betts
Traci Boyle
Katherine Burr
Miracle Burton
Caitlin Cadelina
Matthew Charland
Joshua Christensen
Kathryn Cocker
Jessica Cowgill
Anna Enzweiler
Anna Ezell
Trey Farber
Grace Ferry
Michael Foy
Ashlyn Frizzelle
Leonella Fursova
Shannan Garcia
Katherine Graham
Jasmine, Gray
Tammy Heimerl
Mikaela Hull
Michael Jurasek
Kristopher Kalmbach
Jospeh Krupa
Jennifer Lee
Jennifer Lewis
Matthew Loudon
Ruth Malak
Richard Manrique
Heidi Martz
Julia Maxwell
Kathryn Mayer
Shiloh McRae
Erin Murray
Rachael Oie
Kyler Perry
Alyssa Peters-Landlord
Sabrina Pralle
Rebecca Rathbun
Meagan Rector
Caitlin Richardson
Heather Robinson
Brandi Rolston
Maia Singhmor
Bailey Stevenson
Kelsey Schober
Hannah Schruf
Heather Seims
Ariel Sizemore
James Sliwa
Vera Sosnina
Rebecca Stiner
Molly Sullivan
Kalia Thao
Renee Vingoe
Kayla Wagner
Jake Williams
Amanda Wolfe
Johanna Zivotic
Maryann Zmuda

About MSHF: Mat-Su Health Foundation is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare asset through board oversight. The MSHF invests its share of Mat-Su Regional’s profits into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available online at www.healthymatsu.org.

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