“SHEF has been an instrumental force in my career as a registered nurse. I was awarded SHEF’s Titmus Memorial Nursing Fund in 2013 as an undergraduate student nurse, and I received SHEF’s Dr. Gurpal S. Bhuller Award in 2015 after graduating. I seized the opportunity to volunteer for SHEF’s Health Careers Explorers Program and poured into the budding minds of our future healthcare leaders. I am grateful to have been a part of SHEF’s legacy, and I champion its participants as they look wide-eyed into the world, hoping to make a change – it is possible.”
Kiana D. Kimber, BSN, RN-BC
“My advice to people who want to go into the health professions is do not give up! I am a prime example of being able to beat the odds. I had my first child at 15 but I did not give up. I was an LPN for many years, but I knew I could be more. SHEF scholarships are a wonderful tool for people who need extra assistance to meet their dreams. It was a blessing.”
Takara Jackson, Oncology RN
“I have three kids and I am a single parent. What SHEF gave me really saved me. I could not have made it without SHEF’s help.”
Laurie Marston, Radiologic Technology
“The scholarship was an amazing help. It made nursing school possible. Working full-time and being in nursing school was craziness! The scholarship let me cut back on waiting tables to only part-time. “
Heather Moody, Post Operative RN
“I am currently studying Communication Science and Disorders with a minor in Health Education at Longwood University. I attended the SHEF Explorer’s Program Camp the Summer of 2016 and 2017. I knew I wanted to go into the medical field and this camp was a way for me, as a young adult, to hear more about healthcare professionals. The camp offered an extensive number of different opportunities and opened my eyes to a countless number of healthcare professions. Speech therapy was one of the professions shown in the hospital we visited, and now that is my field of study. One memory I have from SHEF camp is they allowed us to explore how to properly put on personal protective equipment (PPE) and how to properly take it off and I was introduced to first aid/CPR/AED. While attending camp, we visited many local healthcare facilities such as Dunlop House, Prince George Fire & EMS, Appomattox Health and Wellness Center and located higher education schools such as Richard Bland and Brightpoint. The program opens your eyes to many different scholarship opportunities for students. I would highly recommend the SHEF Explorer’s Program to a young adult who would like to learn more healthcare professions.”
Skylar Hartman, Longwood University
“During my time in the SHEF Explorers Summer Program, I was given opportunities that completely changed the way I viewed my future. Spending the week exploring college campuses, participating in medical simulations, and connecting with healthcare professionals made me realize that a career in healthcare was something that is actually attainable for me.
Before SHEF, I admired the medical field from a distance, but the program gave me firsthand experiences that built my confidence and opened my eyes to the possibilities ahead. The support, encouragement, and guidance I received from the SHEF team played a major role in helping me see my potential and motivated me and for that, I am incredibly grateful for the impact this program has had on my future.
Because of my experience with SHEF and a hospital volunteer program I was a part of, I was inspired to establish a healthcare club at my school where students can become more aware of the many opportunities and career paths that the healthcare field provides. I wanted other students to feel the same sense of possibility and encouragement that SHEF gave me.
Ariana Diggs, Appomattox Regional Governors School, Class of 2026