The Association of Nursing Students (ANS) at UNC Charlotte won the Outstanding Student Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals to be awarded on November 7, 2012. Nominated by Heather Shaughnessy, Development Officer for the College of Health and Human Services, the ANS was recognized for its establishment of the Ashley Lutz Memorial Scholarship, a Nursing fund founded in memory of a classmate. Ashley Lutz was known for her kindness, compassion, and dedication to the profession of nursing. Diagnosed with cancer in her senior year of nursing school, she never missed a day of clinical practice, and insisted on taking her final exams from her hospital bed.
“Ashley was committed to serving others and making a difference in the lives of her patients” says Shaughnessy, and “she never wavered from her passion of becoming a nurse.” Named in her honor, the Ashley Lutz Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates an extraordinary passion for nursing and a commitment to serving others.
ANS President, Katie Preske, and student nursing leaders Wilder and Thomasson, along with other peers spearheaded the creation of the Ashley Lutz Memorial Scholarship in Nursing, and gained support by many, including Sigma Theta Tau International, Gamma Iota Chapter—nursing’s professional honor society.
UNCC-ANS is an organization of very active pre-nursing and BSN nursing students whose goal is to assist in preparing students for a future in nursing. The group strives to increase knowledge about the nursing profession and participate in community programs. Through volunteering, they embody a philosophy of caring using their positive attributes and knowledge of health care issues to reach people outside of the clinical setting.
“The ANS has done some impressive work for the community” says Baldwin, Associate Dean and Director of the School of Nursing. Baldwin believes “it is the students in this organization who will make great leaders in the nursing profession; they have already demonstrated one of the most important core values of a being a professional, ‘Caring.’ “Nursing is a caring profession, and caring includes having empathy for and connecting with people.”
Charlotte’s Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs. Each year they honor individuals and organizations for their commitment to the philanthropic sector in the Charlotte community at a celebratory luncheon on November 7th.