Nursing student wins BSN Scholarship from the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing BSN student Kelly Snyder has been awarded the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Scholarship from the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania (NAP). The statewide, nonprofit organization recognizes exemplary nursing practice and grants $35,000 in scholarship dollars to eight students pursuing degrees in nursing at all levels.

Snyder, a State College, Pennsylvania, native, is going into her fourth year as a Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing BSN student. On top of excelling in the college’s rigorous BSN program, Snyder also is a scholar in the Schreyer Honors College, with her thesis focusing on improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and shortages in nursing education.

Snyder has been highly involved in activities on campus. She served as the Representative of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing for Penn State’s Student Government, conducted research on incorporating sustainability into nursing education at Penn State as a member of the Council of Sustainable Nursing, a Phi Epsilon Kappa fraternity member, and the Breakthrough to Nursing Chair in the Student Nurses Association at Penn State (SNAPS).

Off-campus, Snyder earned her CNA license in high school and spent summers working in various healthcare facilities up until last summer when she worked as a rotating nurse intern/CNA in the Cape Cod Hospital. This current summer, Snyder is interning at the Ghiloni Oncology Fellowship at Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Snyder’s culmination of work and involvement experience on and off campus led her to be selected for the BSN award among her many nursing peers across the state, according to NAP. Her selection was based off criteria including community service, professional leadership, academic excellence, leadership potential, and personal commitment to nursing.

"I have always wanted a career where I can wake up each day and put my skills towards a good cause. Every nurse I have had the privilege to work with and learn from proves to me each day that I made the right decision in pursuing this career," said Snyder. "I am excited to continue my education in nursing and start a career in the field, where I can offer my compassion and work ethic to make a difference in my patients' lives."

Winning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Scholarship from the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania helped solidify Snyder’s opportunity to intern away from home, she said.

“I heard about the award through the college’s CONcierge newsletter and decided to apply because I am very involved in the nursing field and the community, and Boston is a rather expensive city,” said Snyder. “I knew it was an ambitious move, so the award funding I received will be to support my nursing internship this summer, and for that I am appreciative beyond words.”

In addition to the Nightingale award, Snyder has received many other accolades while at Penn State, including the Ridge Riley Lion’s Pride Award, the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing – Nursing Excellence Award, and the State College Rotary Award as a freshman.

“It has been a huge honor to receive this award and to be acknowledged for all my hard work. But I also think it's important to recognize Penn State Nursing, because all our faculty and staff work very hard to create great nurses. So, it was particularly rewarding for me to be able to receive this award and show it as a reflection of the college and to the caliber of education I’ve been given,” said Snyder. “It also means a lot and is truly empowering for me to be recognized among such a great group of highly accomplished nurses.”

Snyder attributed many of her successes and love for Penn State to the sense of community and comradery she experienced while within the college.

“Having the same classes and similar crazy clinical experiences, you become really close with your classmates and professors, there's just a really strong bond that happens there,” said Snyder. “It's amazing that we can be a part of delivering a baby and then go to math class right after. No other student has experiences like that, and I think it’s so special that we all get to go through it together.”

Upon graduation next year, she hopes to secure a job in pediatric oncology, and to eventually go back to school for her Nurse Practitioner degree.

Snyder and the other seven recipients will be recognized for their accomplishments on Oct. 28, at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey hotel. More information about the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania and the 2022 recipients is available here.