More than a dozen years ago, then-Mason Nursing faculty Odette Willis noticed a student of hers was suddenly struggling and asked him what was going on. Staying in school had become difficult for him. He was not able to work because he was in the full-time nursing program and had been kicked out of his home for not contributing. He was sleeping in his car.
Willis knew about the College’s Emergency Fund and worked with the student to apply for aid. Funding was awarded to the student, and Willis helped him create a plan to get back on his feet while continuing his education. A year later, Willis saw that student graduate.
From that year forward, Willis has been a continual donor to the College’s Emergency Fund which helps students who find themselves needing some extra support to buy food, gas, books, childcare, or anything else to help them stay in school.
“I see the need, and I see the students who get the scholarships. They are so grateful because the extra funds take some burdens off them and it allows them to become open to learning,” said Willis.
This year, she donated $5,000 to the Carolyn Taylor Scholarship Fund to help future nurses and pledged a multi-year gift starting in 2024 to establish a new scholarship in her name for the School of Nursing. She is thrilled to have been a part of educating Mason nurses as a faculty member and that she can still support future clinicians with her stewardship.
“As a teacher and a donor, I’m trying to grow the next generation. I want them to be the best nurses, epidemiologists, health administrators, etc., and the only way students can do that is to have the funding to stay in school,” said Willis.