Every year we award a new cohort of students through the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) HealthE STEPS Scholarship Program. The program helps a range of students. Our recipients range from students completing their baccalaureate degree in our traditional three year program, accelerated program or the RNBC completion program. Our students come from all over the state of Oregon each with a goal of finishing their nursing degree and contributing to their communities. Here are our some current HealthE STEPS recipients and some past scholars who have continued on to graduate school.

Baccalaureate Program HealthE STEPS Scholars

Ashland Campus

Alma (Ericka) Salazar

Program: Traditional Baccalaureate OHSU Ashland Campus
Year: Class of 2018
Hometown: Born in Yuma Az, raised in Southern Oregon


Update: Ericka graduated in June of 2018 and is working in Emergency Nursing in southern Oregon as an RN. She received the Ashland Campus 2018 Sigma Theta Tau Outstanding Baccalaureate Student award.

Goal: My goal is to successfully complete my BSN program in June 2018, and gain knowledge and experience in the critical care setting. My hope is to obtain a position in the emergency department and join a professional nursing organization to feel grounded in my practice. Once I am financially and mentally ready, I plan to continue my education and pursue a graduate degree to advance my nursing practice. My passion is to serve migrant and underserved populations in my community.

Bio: I am currently a single parent of two young boys. I have lived in my community most of my life and plan to raise my sons here too. However, I was born in Yuma Az, and was being delivered while my mother was crossing the border from San Luis RC, Sonora. She knew the value of being a US citizen to the point where she risked her life for me to reap the benefits. I am the middle sibling of five children and was raised by solely by her, who worked in agriculture as a migrant worker. This experience allowed me to see what a migrant woman does for her children in a country that is not her own and ingrained the values and beliefs I hold true today.

 I began my journey as a medical assistant at a community clinic. After years of helping the underserved population in my community I decided I needed to do more for them and for myself. I began taking classes at a community college for two years while working and caring for my children. Once able, I applied to OHSU SON and was accepted. This was a huge milestone in my life and hope to use everything I have learned to give back to my community. 

La Grande Campus

Tyler Hulick

Program: OHSU La Grande Campus
Year: Class of 2018
Hometown: Prineville, Oregon

Goal: My goal is to continue through this rest of this three-year program and take advantage of the amazing opportunities this program has to offer. I want to continue to progress forward with an open mind and absorb everything I can in this learning environment. I hope to continue to become an educated, respectful and professional health care provider.

Bio: I'm 25 years old and I'm the oldest sibling of my seven wonderful brothers and sisters. I graduated from Crook County High School in 2012. I have lived in Central Oregon for a large part of my life. Before I entered this program, I have been working as a wildland firefighter for the United States Forest Service for the last four years. I enjoy the outdoors, hiking, and fishing.

This path towards a health care profession has been sought after much trial and error in the journey of life. After exploring my options as a young man, I had to find something that I enjoyed in life and I found that I love helping people. This led me to the path of becoming a nurse and I began to take my prerequisites at Central Oregon Community College. After, lots of hard work and determination I have found myself finding a career path that I'm in love with so far and I look forward to seeing where this will lead me.   

Monmouth Campus

Valerie Abdalnabi

Program: OHSU Monmouth Campus
Year: Class of 2018
Hometown: Las Cruces, New Mexico

 

Update: Valerie graduated in June 2018 is working as an RN  in Intensive Care in the Willamette Valley.

Goal: After completing a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing degree at Oregon Health &Science University, I would like to work in a critical care setting such as an Intensive Care Unit. I also have an interest in working with Native Americans, immigrants, and the homeless community. After gaining valuable experience, I would love to continue my education and become a Family Nurse Practitioner or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

Bio: I am a first-generation college student. Being Native American, I am well aware that underserved populations have poor access to healthcare, leading to a higher prevalence of disease and mortality. This inspired me to pursue my nursing education at Oregon Health &Science University to become a Registered Nurse. I hope to help bridge this gap by providing compassionate care to populations that lack access to high-quality healthcare.

Xochitl Gutierrez

Program: OHSU Monmouth Campus
Year: Class of 2018
Hometown: Born in Tepic, Nayarit Mexico raised in Southern California.

 

Update: Xochitl graduated in June 2018 is working as an RN in Medical Surgical Oncology in the Willamette Valley.

Goal: After completing my BSN, I want to gain experience in the acute care setting and pursue graduate school in a year or two. I am interested in the Health and Systems Organizational Leadership program at OHSU. My goal is to work with rural and underserved populations here in Oregon, and I believe post-baccalaureate education is an essential step in reaching this goal.

Bio: I am a first-generation college student from a first-generation immigrant family. I previously completed an Associate Degree at Chemeketa Community College along with the prerequisites for nursing. I chose nursing because it is unlike any other profession. The knowledge base, the critical thinking, and the opportunity to serve people are all that drew me in. What I also love about nursing is the flexibility and the various professional opportunities available to nurses. I am both excited and grateful to begin my nursing practice, expand my knowledge base, and serve others.

Klamath Falls Campus

Ashley Holder

Program: OSHU Klamath Falls Campus
Year: Class of 2018
Hometown: Lake Havasu, Arizona 

 

Update: Ashley graduated in June 2018 and is currently working in as an RN in Emergency Nursing in the Klamath Falls area.

Goal: Currently my goals include graduating with my BSN, passing my NCLEX, and eventually working as a pediatric nurse here in Oregon. I want to continue giving back to my community in any way possible, and I would eventually like to do some international volunteer work, especially in countries with minimal access to healthcare.

Bio: I am a first-generation college student planning to graduate in 2018. I chose to pursue a career in nursing after witnessing firsthand the impact a nurse can have on a patient and their entire family. When my grandmother was in the hospital, I was always fascinated at the way nurses interacted with her, and with myself and the rest of my family. I decided I wanted to be "that" nurse for another family. One of my goals of practice is to always include the family because I know how meaningful that simple act can be. This scholarship has been a tremendous blessing in helping me finish school and follow my dreams.

Portland Campus

Mark Anthony Ramos Udarbe

Program: 3-year baccalaureate nursing program, OHSU, Portland campus
Year: Class of 2019
Hometown: Hanamāʻulu, Hawai'i, Island of Kauaʻi County.

 

Goal: Prior to nursing school, I gained years of healthcare experience working in outpatient clinics and in clinical informatics. I later realized that my role was confined and that it was time for me to move forward. I desired a career in nursing and set a goal to attend nursing school. My current goal is to graduate from OSHU in June 2019 with my bachelor of science degree in nursing. My next plan is to gain work experience in the inpatient setting, particularly on an acute care medicine unit. My inpatient, outpatient, and clinical informatics experiences will further support my next goal to attend graduate school and become a family nurse practitioner. I plan to provide excellent and holistic health care to all patient populations, especially in rural and medically underserved communities.

Biography: My family were Philippine immigrants. Initially, they were imported farmworkers for a grape vineyard in Bakersfield, California and were later transferred to Hawai'i to continue working as farmworkers on a sugar cane plantation. My family were one of the first Filipino plantation laborers in 1906. My family eventually gained U.S. citizenship after years of farming labor and I was later born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. I grew up in a socioeconomically disadvantage household and I am the first in my family to go to college. I began my career in health care as a medical assistant when I moved to Oregon in 2008. I worked at a chronic pain, foot and ankle, primary care, gastroenterology, and urgent care clinic as well as in clinical informatics Epic support. Both my personal and professional experiences have inspired me to strive in making a difference in health care.

Previous Undergraduate Trainees who Have Gone On to Graduate School

Ireli Hernandez

Current Program: OHSU- Nurse Midwifery Graduate Program
Year: Class of 2020
2018 Graduate of Ashland Campus –Baccalaureate Degree
Hometown: Born in Morelia, Michoacán Mexico raised in Medford, Oregon.

Goal: My current goal is to become a Certified Nurse Midwife and complete my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. I am committed to addressing health equity issues and have future intentions of working with underserved populations in a community/rural setting. As I continue my education at OHSU, I hope to contribute to the diversity of the nursing workforce, and share my experiences, and culture with my current/future colleagues and community.

Bio: I was born in Morelia Michoacán Mexico and arrived in the U.S at the age of 4. I am the mother to a fun and energetic boy. I am the second oldest of three children, one of which also graduated from the nursing program at OHSU. Due to life circumstances, my parents were unable to obtain a formal education themselves. Like many families, my parents decided to immigrate to the United States from Mexico to pursue greater opportunities. Growing up, my parents always pushed for higher education;their continued support and motivation have been the driving force to our educational endeavors.   

I am a first generation college student;I obtained a BS in biology with a minor in psychology from Southern Oregon University. I attended OHSU- school of nursing (Ashland campus) and completed a BS in nursing in 2017. I transitioned into a graduate program at OHSU were I am currently working towards completing a doctorate degree, with a specialty in Nurse Midwifery. 

Cindy Millan

Current Program: Oregon Health and Science University- Family Nurse Practitioner Program/Doctor of Nursing Practice (FNP/DNP)
Year: Class of 2020
2018 Graduate of Monmouth Campus –Baccalaureate Degree
Hometown: Salem, Oregon

Goal: My goal upon completing the FNP/DNP program is to provide care to medically underserved communities. I have a special interest in working with the Latino/Hispanic population, including the migrant farmworker population. This interest has stemmed from both personal experience and exposure to current issues related to lack of diverse providers.　

Bio: I am the youngest in my family and the first to enroll in graduate school. My parents are both immigrants who although lack higher education have always understood the importance of education and pushed us to continue beyond high school. I recently completed my BSN degree at the OHSU School of Nursing, Monmouth campus, where I was awarded the HealthE STEPS grant for the duration of my undergraduate nursing education. It was with the guidance and support from this grant program that I am where I am today.