Courtesy of Virginia State University
Virginia State University has received a quarter of a million dollars from Sentara Healthcare to fund the Sentara Scholars program at VSU. The scholarship program is designed to assist students interested in healthcare or healthcare-related fields.
This $250 thousand scholarship program aims to increase the graduation rate, enrollment totals, and number of students who decide to pursue careers in healthcare. In addition, the Sentara gift will address the shortage of healthcare personnel and providers, particularly in the behavioral health field, small applicant pools for Sentara Healthcare positions, and ensure an equitable approach to Sentara’s scholarship giving.
“We are grateful to Sentara for their investment in the students at Virginia State University,” said Tonya Hall, Vice President of External Relations. “Research indicates that Black and Hispanic people are significantly underrepresented in STEM careers. This investment by Sentara demonstrates that they are willing to invest in creating a Greater, more diverse, and highly skilled workforce.”
“Sentara is focused on supporting students who identify as a member of a marginalized population. We seek to support students in earning a certificate, certification, or degree that will enable them to obtain employment in healthcare or healthcare-related fields,” said Angel Barnhill of Sentara Healthcare. “Virginia State University is an institution that prioritizes students that align with that target audience.”
This award further supports the VSU Strategic Plan Priority 1 to increase student opportunities and higher education access. Virginia State University endeavors to become a national model institution offering opportunities for educating students from all backgrounds to attain high academic achievement and employment success rates.
