Blessing Foundation scholarship helps get medical students into the workforce

QUINCY (WGEM) - Efforts are underway at one Tri-State school to make education more affordable.

More than $1 million is coming to Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

”I’ve loved my time here in the program,” said radiologic sciences senior Mason Alley. “Its been incredible, met lots of great people, learned a lot and just ready to put my skills to work.”

Alley said he was able to get the most out of his education at Blessing-Rieman thanks to having one less thing to worry about: finances.

“I’ve had previous loans before working towards another degree,” Alley said. “So I mean you know being a planner myself, so I’m always thinking down the road what my student loan payments are going to be like.”

Alley said it’s because he got a scholarship through the Blessing Foundation.

“With rising education costs, inflation in general my wife and I had our first child over the summer-- its just extremely comforting to know that there are donors out there willing to put their hard earned money invested towards us. That makes me even more excited to put my skills to work, be a vital part of the patient care team and improve the health of our community,” Alley said.

School officials said additionally there is a need for more workers.

“As far as opportunities, there’s just a lot needed in the field right now of radiology,” said assistant professor and CTA and MRI clinical coordinator Crystal Neff.

Neff said with an abundance of opportunities in the field, financial assistance is a big help in getting graduates like Alley into the workforce.

“It really helps them to be able to focus on school,” Neff said. “And helps them to be able to cut back on hours and not work so much. And really focus on school and on the clinical aspect as well because our students have both theory and clinical. They’re very busy.”

Neff said there are roughly 40 students in the program.

School officials said the Blessing Foundation Scholarship program has about 50 scholarships per year and one general financial aid fund.

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