Nurse Leader Stacey Winter Found Her Career Adventure Close to
Home
Stacey remembers a time when she thought her career dreams would
take her to far-off places.
But as her friends graduated and moved away, Stacey moved just a few miles away
to Lena.
She began
working at FHN Memorial Hospital as a certified nursing assistant
(CNA), caring for patients in the skilled care unit on the overnight
shift. After working three years as a CNA, Stacey was accepted into
FHN’s scholarship program, which provided financial support as
she pursued her goal of becoming a registered nurse.
Stacey added to her experience in a variety of
specialties, working with FHN’s surgical, intensive care, and
gastrointestinal (GI) teams. While she grew her resume, she also
advanced her education; another FHN scholarship program allowed
her to work and supported her while she began her bachelor’s
degree locally at Highland Community College. In 2011, she
graduated with her education in nursing from Lewis University in
Romeoville.
After witnessing how the pandemic challenged healthcare workers and even stretched
them to their limits, she felt special
concern for young nurses who were beginning their career when
COVID-19 struck. She wants to help them the way her mentors have
helped her.
Now, with more than 20 years of healthcare
experience under her belt, Stacey is making another big leap,
stepping into the role of Nursing Operations Leader for the
Telemetry and Intensive Care teams at FHN
Memorial Hospital
in Freeport. In her supervisory role, Stacey draws on her
decades of patient care to support and empower her team.
“I always thought I’d be a bedside nurse, but I see this as a great avenue
to help inspire other nurses.”
2022 Scholarships
FHN is proud to offer a number of scholarships for students pursuing careers in healthcare. Please read the description of each scholarship carefully, then download and apply for the one(s) that fit you.
Healthcare Career Scholarship Program
To uphold the Mission of FHN and services we provide in our communities through the support of future healthcare professionals, FHN is providing up to three $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing specific healthcare careers.
Deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Applications will be accepted from any student residing in FHN's service area and currently enrolled in an accredited program of study involving the following healthcare careers:
Behavioral Health (Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Social Work)
Certified Medical Assistant
Health Information Management (HIM)
Imaging (Cardiac, Diagnostic or Vascular Ultrasound, CT Technology, MRI, or Nuclear Medicine)
Information Technology (with a focus on healthcare)
Medical Technologist (MT), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), Clinical Laboratory Scientist, and Medical Laboratory Scientist
Nursing (Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN))
Pharmacist
Rehabilitation Services (Physical Therapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA), Speech Language Pathologist (SLP))
Benefit-eligible staff of FHN may not apply.
To apply:
Complete the application form
Provide evidence of a current GPA of 3.0 or better
Participate in an interview, if selected as a finalist
Submit a typed, approximately 500-word essay responding to the following question:
Why did you choose your career path, what have you done to support it, and how would it benefit FHN's service area?
All entries will become the property of FHN and will not be returned.
Funds will be disbursed to the winning students' college or university to be applied toward expenses for the Spring 2023 term.
Dates to Remember:
Deadline for applications submission – Friday, September 2, 2022
Finalist interviews conducted October thru November 2022
Winners announced and funds disbursed in December 2022
For more information, call FHN Human Resources at 815-599-6336 or email cboeke@fhn.org.
Volunteer Resources Scholarship Program
One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a student enrolled in a fully accredited college with a major in a healthcare field. The student MUST be an active member of the FHN Student Volunteer Program with a minimum of 40 career hours.
Deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Applications will be accepted from any student currently enrolled in his or her senior year of high school or in an undergraduate program of study leading to a healthcare career.
To apply:
Complete the application form
Provide evidence of a current GPA of 3.0 or better
Participate in an interview, if selected as a finalist
Submit a typed, double-spaced one-page essay on the topic:
Why did you choose your career path, and how has your volunteer experience at FHN contributed to your personal career goals?
All entries will become the property of FHN and will not be returned. Essays will be evaluated on writing style including grammar and spelling, along with creativity and originality.
A check will be made payable to the winning student's college or university and mailed to the student. Monies must be applied to direct expenses for the current year's term(s).
Dates to Remember:
Deadline for applications submission – Friday, September 2, 2022
Finalist interviews conducted October thru November 2022
Winners announced and funds disbursed in December 2022
For more information on becoming a volunteer at one of FHN's facilities, contact FHN Volunteer Services at 815-599-6752.
For more information about this scholarship, call Carol Boeke in FHN Human Resources at 815-599-6336 or email cboeke@fhn.org.
Diversity Healthcare Career Scholarship
At FHN, our effectiveness at using the talents of people of different backgrounds, experience and perspectives is key to successfully achieving our mission and strategic business objectives.
To uphold the Mission of FHN and services we provide in our communities through the support of future healthcare professionals, FHN is providing a $1,000 diversity scholarship opportunity to students pursuing specified healthcare careers.
Deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Applications will be accepted from any minority student2 residing in FHN's service area3 currently enrolled in an accredited program4 of study involving the following healthcare careers:
Behavioral Health (Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Social Work)
Certified Medical Assistant
Health Information Management (HIM)
Imaging (Cardiac, Diagnostic or Vascular Ultrasound, CT Technology, MRI, or Nuclear Medicine)
Information Technology (with a focus on healthcare)
Medical Technologist (MT), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), Clinical Laboratory Scientist, and Medical Laboratory Scientist
Nursing (Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN))
Pharmacist
Rehabilitation Services (Physical Therapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA), Speech Language Pathologist (SLP))
Benefit-eligible staff of FHN may not apply
To apply:
Complete the application form
Provide evidence of a current GPA of 3.0 or better
Participate in an interview, if selected as a finalist
Submit a typed, approximately 500-word essay responding to the following question:
Why did you choose your career path, what have you done to support it, and how would it benefit FHN's service area?
All entries will become the property of FHN and will not be returned.
Funds will be disbursed to the winning students' college or university to be applied toward expenses for the Spring 2023 term.
Dates to Remember:
Deadline for applications submission – Friday, September 2, 2022
Finalist interviews conducted October thru November 2022
Winners announced and funds disbursed in December 2022
For more information, call FHN Human Resources at 815-599-6336.
- At all times, FHN reserves the right to determine whether the one (1) scholarship opportunity is to be awarded based upon its review of the applications received. FHN also reserves the right to determine qualifications/eligibility. A minority student selected to receive the scholarship shall be responsible for all tax consequences arising from the scholarship.
- A "minority student" is an individual who is either African American/Black (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups in Africa); Hispanic American (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race); Asian American (a person with origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Pacific Islands (including, among others, Hawaii, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia); or Native American (a person who is a member of a federally or state recognized Indian tribe, or whose parents or grandparents have such membership, including native people of Alaska).
- For purposes of this program, the "service area" includes Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Ogle and Winnebago counties in Illinois.
- In order to be eligible, the minority student must be currently enrolled in an accredited program of study involving the noted healthcare careers and/or have otherwise declared their major in such a career and are taking courses in furtherance of that major.
