After Remy Jones, 25, of Prince Frederick graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from University of Maryland Eastern Shore, she determined that nursing was the career path to channel this knowledge. “I just had a change of heart. I wanted something a little more hands-on,” Jones said. “I love people. I love taking care of people.”
She can trace that interest back to when she was in elementary school and her father was ill, needing dialysis. “When my dad fell sick, he called me his little nurse,” Jones said, recalling how she’d help him. “I fell in love with caring for people.”
Jones’ father died when she was 9. “It was hard,” she said. “We lost our father. We lost our financial support.”
So, when Jones decided to complete her nursing degree at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM), she knew that her family couldn’t afford to help her. During her second semester, she realized that she was going to fall short $900 of what she needed. Praying for some assistance, she applied for scholarships.
“All right, Lord,” she said she remembers saying, “You’re going to provide.”
Jones was awarded three scholarships — the LaVerda Francis and Richard Blair Scholarship, Nyce Annual Scholarship and Virginia B. Darrow Memorial CSM Nursing Scholarship. Those funds were sufficient to cover Jones’ second semester as well as her third. “They were right on time,” she said. “I don’t think it’s luck.
“These scholarships have been a tremendous blessing. It seems like these scholarships were a godsend.”
CSM Senior Photography Coordinator Valerie Nyce established the Nyce Annual Scholarship, one of the three that is assisting Jones. Nyce said she created the scholarship in honor of her father. “My dad put me through school,” she said to Jones at their first meeting. “I just feel it’s important to help others do the same.
“He was a generous person. And I want to carry on that tradition,” Nyce said.
Her message to Jones? It is the kind of advice her father would have given: “Don’t stop until you get there.”
Students seeking scholarship assistance at CSM can learn about all the scholarships that match their circumstances by using the college’s Scholarship Finder at www.csmd.edu/scholarship-finder. In addition, students can view all available scholarships at the same site. For additional information or assistance, contact the Financial Assistance Department at 301-934-7531.
Those who would like to donate to CSM scholarships will have an ideal opportunity on Nov. 28 when the college participates in Giving Tuesday, a 24-hour online giving event with multiple matching opportunities. For information on Giving Tuesday at CSM or to donate during the event, visit http://Foundation.csmd.edu/GivingTuesday.
To learn about scholarships available at CSM, visit http://foundation.csmd.edu.