By Jess Kusak
The dream of obtaining a college education is becoming a reality for many Nevada State College students through numerous scholarship, grant and loan opportunities available at the college.
The generosity of local businesses and community members provides a multitude of scholarships for deserving students. Most recently, Nevada State College, through its Foundation, received good news from Wells Fargo Bank. The bank will award $10,000 for qualified students pursuing a degree in business. This scholarship will afford $5,000 per year for two students.
The Wells Fargo Scholars Program is one of many funding sources available through the College’s Office of Financial Services and Scholarships. This office, as a result of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts, provides scholarship opportunities across all areas of study at NSC. Among these opportunities include the Silver State Schools Credit Union Scholarship for education majors, the St. Rose College to Careers Scholarship, which makes available $4,000 per year for up to ten nursing students and the Glenn and Ande Christensen Scholarship, which furnishes a freshman student $5,000 for each of their four years at NSC.
In addition to scholarship opportunities, financial aid in the form of educational loans and grants provide other avenues for funding a student’s 
education at NSC. The Office of Financial Services and Scholarships provides NSC students with over $5.5 million in financial aid annually. One-third of students receive some type of financial aid, with the average award being nearly $6,000 per student.
One very telling statistic is that since NSC’s inception, 65% of our graduates have been financial aid recipients, indicating the important linkage of being able to pay for college and actual graduation, said Neil Woolf, Director of Student Financial Services and Aid at NSC.
Some additional compelling statistics Woolf shares is that this fall semester, the college has had 100 more students receive a Pell grant than the total for both semesters last year. We encourage our students to apply for aid, and often times, they may be surprised as to what they are actually eligible for, Woolf states.
Funding for a college education at NSC is now not limited to college students but local students in the Clark County School District (CCSD) as well. The NSC Promise Program is a joint effort between the Office of Student Financial Services and Aid, The Nevada State College Foundation, Enrollment Management at NSC, and the CCSD. Under the program, students from as many as six local elementary schools have the opportunity to receive scholarship assistance and mentorship until they reach college.
Hannah Brown, who is a Nevada State College Diversity Council member and NSC Presidential Award recipient, has been instrumental in finding role models for the program. Napoleon A. McCallum, the former Los Angeles Raiders running back is one of the Promise Program’s local role models. The former U.S. Naval Academy graduate, who now serves as the Director of Community Development for the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, is a regular speaker at the NSC Promise Program schools. Success stories such as McCallum’s demonstrate to middle-school students a college education is possible, and through hard work and encouragement from positive role models, their goals can be attained.
The sixth graders participating in the Promise Program receive a NSC Promise Certificate, which is good for a $500 scholarship toward their first semester at NSC if they graduate from high school and fulfill the college’s admission requirements. Each year, Nevada State College sends the Promise Program students a postcard reminding them to keep their promise of ultimately pursuing a college degree
For additional information on scholarship and financial aid opportunities at Nevada State College, please visit https://nsc.edu/552.asp.
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Healing Ceremony Acknowledges Dedication of Nursing Program’s Faculty, Students
By Jess Kusak
Nevada State College School of Nursing students and faculty recently gathered for the sixth annual Healing Presence Ceremony, a college tradition honoring student and faculty dedication to the art of caring in nursing. Students and faculty gathered at the College’s Downtown Henderson campus to affirm their commitment to nursing.
Dr. Shirlee Snyder, Interim Dean of Nursing, shared in her opening remarks that the ceremony is designed to acknowledge the students and faculty’s dedication to the art of nursing. This ceremony is a time to learn, reflect and grow as nurses and nursing educators, stated Dr. Snyder. The ceremony’s focus, per Dr. Snyder’s remarks, was to not only be a healing presence in the lives of others but in their own lives as well. The ceremony serves to reinforce and encourage a holistic approach to nursing students, professors and practitioners alike.
The concept of caring is one of the central tenets integrated into the School of Nursing’s curriculum. The nursing faculty believe that caring is the 
essence of nursing. Nurses demonstrate care through commitment, compassion and competence during every encounter with a patient, skills instilled in all NSC nursing students as they move through their studies.
The focal point of the Healing Presence Ceremony was centered on one specific aspect of caring the energy of a healing presence. To illustrate this concept, students and faculty formed a large circle divided into seven sections with each section led by a student reader and faculty member. The sections represented each of the seven steps for being a healing presence. As each student reader recited the steps for being a healing presence, the students and faculty in the group walked around a table of lavender located in the center of the circle, 
selecting a sprig, which symbolizes their dedication to becoming a healing presence through their learning, reflection and growth.
When the School of Nursing was established in 2003, the faculty wanted to create opportunities that would foster a culture of caring. This philosophy has since been imparted to all students in the program, cultivating in a community of future nurses that demonstrate a healing presence throughout southern Nevada.
Flu Virus H1N1 Alert
H1N1 RELATED LINKS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FLU SITE
U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FLU SITE
CDC FLU SITE
FEDERAL ONE-STOP INFORMATION SITE
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL OF ADVISORS ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, EXECUTIVE REPORT: U.S. PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2009-H1N1 INFLUENZA
As the winter months approach there is a greater likelihood of contracting the influenza virus (flu) or H1N1. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that the best protection against the flu and/or H1N1 is to practice good personal hygiene, such as:
Thorough hand washing with warm water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizers
Covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue or
By coughing or sneezing into a bended elbow or sleeve and
Practice social distancing by staying home away from other if sick
So, if you have flu-like symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and fever of 100 degrees or greater, with diarrhea and/or vomiting, more than likely you have a flu virus and/or H1N1.
To help prevent the spread of the flu or H1N1 virus to others, Nevada State Health Division and Nevada State College are asking you to follow these guidelines: (If you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms) —
SEEK CARE. Sick students, faculty and staff should seek medical attention from your local health provider.
SICK, STAY AT HOME. A sick person can expose others to the flu virus up to seven days after they begin to fell ill.
REST AND STAY HYDRATED. Rest and drink plenty of water and fruit juices.
AVOID CLOSE CONTACT WITH OTHERS. Avoid cover contact such kissing, sharing toothbrushes or sharing drinks.
WASH YOUR HANDS. Rub your hands with an alcohol-based hand gel or wash them with soap and warm water right after you sneeze or cough.
WATCH FOR EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNS. Most people should be able to recover at home, but watch for emergency warning signs that indicate you should seek immediate care, such as:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.
Sudden dizziness.
Confusion.
Severe or persistent vomiting.
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with a more severe cough and fever.
Additional Information Resource Links
CDC guidance specific to colleges and universities:
President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Executive Report: U.S. Preparations for the 2009-H1N1 Influenza: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/PCAST_H1N1_Report.pdf
http://www.flu.gov/ (Federal one-stop information site)
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ (CDC flu site)
http://www.hhs.gov/ (U.S. Health and Human Services flu site)
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/pandemic/index.html (U.S. Department of Education flu site)
http://archive.nsc.edu/news/archive/2009-archive/flu-virus-h1n1-alert.aspx
