Samantha Navarro, AACC Nursing program scholarship recipient and valedictorian at AACC's commencement in 2023
Wingspan, Fall 2024
This is a crucial moment for the future of health care in our region. AACC is working to significantly expand its Registered Nursing program to meet this increasing need in our community. Nursing shortages have reached critical levels with one in four hospital nursing positions vacant, according to a recent report from the Maryland Hospital Association.
"Community problems need community solutions, and at Anne Arundel Community College, we are committed to building a skilled and compassionate team of nursing professionals who are ready to meet the health care needs of our community,” said Dr. Dawn Lindsay, AACC president.
RNcareers.org regularly ranks AACC as having the No. 1 Registered Nursing program in Maryland, providing exceptional training in state-of-the-art facilities on the Arnold campus. In two years, students can complete their associate degree in registered nursing and embark on a rewarding career.
Scholarship support through the AACC Foundation provides resources to students and helps them overcome the financial barriers to higher education. According to information compiled by the Office of Planning, Research and Institutional Assessment at AACC, 78% of AACC scholarship recipients in the Registered Nursing program live at or below the poverty line and struggle to complete their education. With help from generous donors, the AACC Foundation is committed to increasing the available scholarship resources for these students to help more people pursue an education that leads to a transformative career in nursing.
“I was struggling with my identity as a mother of two sons, a wife and a part-time makeup artist," said Samantha Navarro, an AACC Nursing program scholarship recipient and recent graduate. "But I realized that education at its core is freedom, and taking a step back into the classroom opened a door that wasn’t there before.”
The AACC Foundation’s Future Nursing Professionals Scholarship has been established to provide resources to help educate students as health care professionals in our community. Donor support for this scholarship is an investment in the future for today's students and tomorrow's caregivers.