Penn Nursing education is about more than learning to be a skilled health care professional—it also provides opportunities for personal growth outside of the classroom.
Beyond the Classroom
The Penn Nursing Student Success Fund fuels opportunities for a well-rounded educational experience
Published: May 23, 2023
For Samantha Caterson, Nu’23, one such opportunity took her to Spain to study art history in the museums of Madrid, exploring how the paintings, buildings, and sculptures that she was able to see up close were related to the history and culture of Spain.
“I had never been to Europe before taking this summer abroad, and it was life-changing to my perspective of the world,” says Samantha.
She was able to take that eye-opening trip because of Penn Nursing’s Student Success Fund. Launched in 2019, the Fund provides non-tuition financial support to under-resourced students, with consideration given to first-generation and under-represented students.
Receiving this funding was important to my academic journey because it allowed me to explore both a new language and culture in person. I never would have had the opportunity to explore in this way without the Student Success Fund.”Samantha Caterson, Nu’23
Thanks to a new gift to the Fund by José Ramon Gonzalez, W’89, and Christine Ann Soto, C’89, students have even more opportunities to take advantage of valuable additional resources, such as study abroad experiences, summer courses, and research projects.
Soto and Gonzalez are members of the James Brister Society, a diverse group of University of Pennsylvania alumni volunteer leaders, and Gonzalez was recently appointed to the Penn Nursing Board of Advisors.
“As two first-generation college students, José and I are thrilled to support the Student Success Fund,” says Soto. “Schools like Penn have a moral and ethical duty to ensure access and equity in education for all. A Penn education laid the foundation for our pathway to success. We believe all Penn students deserve that opportunity.”
“I am incredibly grateful to José and Christine for their leadership not only at Penn Nursing but to the wider university community,” says Antonia M. Villarruel, Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing. “Penn Nursing is known for doing more—as clinicians, scientists, policy makers, and beyond—to make high quality health and wellness care more accessible. That starts with doing more for our students to help them develop into highly skilled nurses. Thanks to the Student Success Fund and this new support from José and Christine, our students have access to all the tools they need to fearlessly lead in the workforce, regardless of financial status.”
