Nathalie Munoz-Pascacio of Itawamba Community College’s Fulton Campus and Sydney Ridgeway of Jones College’s Ellisville Campus have been selected to receive the Bower–Delta State University Transfer Nursing Scholarship from the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation.
The renewable scholarship provides each student with $4,000 per semester, up to a maximum of $20,000, to help cover tuition, fees, and other educational expenses associated with completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Delta State University.
For Munoz-Pascacio and Ridgeway, the scholarship supports more than the next stage of their education. It advances two career paths rooted in expanding access to skilled, compassionate healthcare in Mississippi.
Both students plan to complete Delta State’s traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program before pursuing Master of Science in Nursing degrees and becoming nurse practitioners. Munoz-Pascacio hopes to begin her career as a labor and delivery nurse. Ridgeway plans to work as an emergency room technician while completing her degree, gaining hands-on experience caring for patients in a fast-paced clinical setting.
“The Phi Theta Kappa Foundation is a dynamic partner in our efforts to improve the health of Mississippians,” said Amy Swales, program director at the Bower Foundation. “Their strategic initiatives help identify students who demonstrate characteristics necessary to succeed in Delta State University’s nursing program. This collaboration maximizes the Bower Foundation’s funding to impact the education and employment of nurses in Mississippi.”
Created through a partnership among the Bower Foundation, Delta State University, and the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, the scholarship establishes a more affordable pathway for Mississippi community college students preparing to enter the nursing profession. The initiative is designed to help talented students complete their degrees and build nursing careers in communities where qualified healthcare professionals are essential.
“The Bower–Delta State University Transfer Nursing Scholarship is a vital investment in Mississippi’s nursing workforce,” said Amanda Karpinski Gorman, executive director of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation. “This partnership is helping promising students become the highly-skilled healthcare professionals Mississippi communities need.”
Through the scholarship, Munoz-Pascacio and Ridgeway can continue their education with fewer financial barriers while preparing to serve patients and families across the state. Their paths illustrate the larger promise of this partnership: helping community college students move successfully from associate-level study to advanced nursing education—and ultimately strengthening healthcare in Mississippi’s long-term healthcare outlook.
About Bower Foundation
The Bower Foundation directs its funds and energies into making sustainable, systemic improvements in the state’s health and health education infrastructures. Through strong partnerships, the foundation leverages limited resources through grants that support mutual goals of better health outcomes. The Bower Foundation is proactive and highly selective in providing grants for the creation, expansion, and support of quality health initiatives.
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the first honor society recognizing the academicachievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 4.4 million members and nearly 1,250 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 220,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.
