NPC announces Selig scholarship recipients
National Park College recently announced the recipients of the John and Helen Selig Scholarship.
Registered nursing student Robin Newcomer and nursing hopeful Sarah Duran will each receive the $500 award for the spring semester.
The merit-based scholarship is awarded to students with a preferred minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50, a minimum of 12 credit hours completed, and at least one year of coursework left to complete. It is open to students of all majors.
Newcomer is a registered nursing student at NPC and plans to transfer to the University of Central Arkansas after graduation to complete a Bachelor of Nursing degree. She hopes to specialize in oncology, become an infusion nurse or work in at-home care.
Newcomer’s husband died of cancer three years ago, and she says pursuing a path in nursing is her way of honoring his memory.
“After the loss of my husband, I’m making a life change,” she said. “I’m supporting myself now, so any help is beneficial. It means a lot. I wasn’t expecting anything this semester. I appreciate the donor’s willingness to help people like me and I hope to give back at some point.”
Duran is working to complete prerequisite coursework before applying to the nursing program. She hopes to work in labor and delivery and serve as a lactation consultant. Duran says there are very few lactation consultants in the community and no Hispanic lactation consultants registered in Arkansas. She hopes to become the first. Her goal is to focus on breaking down stigmas associated with breast-feeding in minority communities.
Duran is a mother of three young children.
“This scholarship actually means more food on the table, and more gas in my tank,” she said. “I feel like a burden has been lifted this semester. It was a huge surprise and a really big blessing.”
She said she is appreciative of the Selig family, stating, “this is something they don’t have to do. This is something from their heart, investing in us and I hope to make them proud. I am so grateful.”