Scholarship aids local nurses

VISTA — Two aspiring nurses are one step closer to their goal thanks to the friends and family of the late Karen A. Black, F.N.P. The newly created Karen A. Black Memorial Nursing Scholarship will provide tuition assistance to eligible Vista Community Clinic staff members wishing to purse a career in nursing.
Sonia Gonzalez is the first-time recipient of the Karen A. Black Memorial Nursing Scholarship. She worked at Vista Community Clinic for three and a half years as a case manager and as the Asthma Care coordinator. She is currently enrolled at Cal State San Marcos and will graduate in May 2010 with a BS in Nursing.
The second nurse, Maria Orozco, grew up using the services of Vista Community Clinic. She is a trained medical assistant and the current clinic manager in Vista Community Clinic’s pediatric department. She oversees 25 staff. She is currently applying to nursing schools and her scholarship will be approved pending acceptance into an accredited nursing program.
The Karen A. Black Memorial Nursing Scholarship honors the late Karen A. Black, F.N.P. who passed away from breast cancer in 2005. Black was a registered nurse and later a nurse practitioner at Vista Community Clinic for more than 10 years. She served the low-income, uninsured residents of the community with unparalleled passion. The scholarship program was started by friends and family to pursue Black’s dream of supporting the development of the staff’s talent and careers.
The Karen A. Black Memorial Nursing Scholarship provides a one-year grant of up to $10,000 for use towards tuition and books in an accredited nursing program. It may be renewed each year at the discretion of the scholarship committee. To support the Karen A. Black Memorial Nursing Scholarship, contact Betsy Heightman, development director at Vista Community Clinic, at (760) 631-5000, ext. 1139.