UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As an associate teaching professor and assistant dean for outreach and development in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and director of Penn State’s COVID-19 Operations Control Center, Kelly Wolgast is keenly aware of the mental health and financial impacts COVID-19 has had on nursing students.
To support nursing students experiencing financial difficulties, Wolgast established the Dr. Kelly A. Wolgast Hardship Fund, which provides up to $12,500 in annual scholarships. Hardship funds across Penn State provide monetary support for students who experience unforeseen situations that negatively impact their ability to complete their degree.
“Kelly has been an unyielding source of support for our nursing students in need in many ways,” said Laurie Badzek, dean of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. “Her dedication, generosity and empathetic perspective offers a significant boost for the next generation of Penn State nurses and the communities they will touch. I am so thankful for her continued commitment to the college, and I am confident her gift will provide our nursing students the tools they need to enter the nursing profession with confidence.”
Unforeseen difficulties may include, but are not limited to, a family member's job loss or death, personal inability to work, injury or illness, car accident or natural disaster. Funds for eligible students include, but are not limited to, textbooks, expenses related to clinical costs, gas, nurse licensure exam fees, nursing equipment and childcare.
“I understand that unexpected things come up for our students and it can be a heavy weight to carry, especially if they don't have a way out or an immediate solution,” Wolgast said. “My motivation in establishing the hardship fund has always been that if I can play a role in the solution for a student that is struggling financially, then I wanted to do my part and pay it forward.”
Financial difficulties can often arise at complicated times for students, compounding the additional increased stress, anxiety, depression and even potentially causing them to leave a program for an extended period or even altogether.
“The lives that our nurses will impact in a compassionate and caring way are immeasurable, spanning many different communities, states and even around the world,” Wolgast said. “I certainly hope this fund will help someone to stay on the nursing path and achieve their dreams and goals.”
Wolgast’s personal commitment to seeing her students through to graduation has not gone unnoticed. The fund has already benefitted five students, and Wolgast has received multiple personal letters of gratitude.
“I feel so fortunate to be in a position and in a time of my life to be able to help others,” Wolgast said, noting that she hopes her giving will help inspire others to do the same. “I want the college to be strong and to be supportive for our students. Penn State has been such a large part of my life and has opened many doors to my success. It feels like a full-circle moment here in the Happy Valley to be able to provide those same opportunities to our nursing students.”
There are many ways to make a lasting difference in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Learn more about how to support the college and ways to give here.
Donors like Wolgast advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients, and communities across the Commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.