Recipients of the scholarships were recognized May 10 at a dinner for all Harrison nurses as part of a National Nurses Week celebration. The scholarship winners are RNs Yelena Watson and Elizabeth Carter, both of Silverdale; DesaRae Sterns of Bremerton; and Amy Yetter of Kingston.

The four-year Bachelor of Science in nursing program at OC was green-lighted by the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Board in August 2006. Scholarship recipients affirmed their intent to work at Harrison for two years after successfully completing the nursing program.

Affording Kitsap residents the opportunity to earn a four-year degree in nursing in their own backyard is a dream a long time in the making for Joan Soriano. The Harrison board member also serves on OC’s Nursing Advisory Committee, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the nursing shortage the program is intended to alleviate.

“Louis and I decided to create a scholarship for employees at Harrison who wanted to better enrich their lives with a bachelor’s in nursing degree,” Soriano says. “We happened to be in the right place at the right time, and we’re able to give back to a community that’s been good to us.”

“The scholarship will have a far-reaching impact on our community, which will benefit from a more highly skilled nursing staff, and for those Harrison employees who whose lives will be enhanced by education,” says Stephanie Cline, executive director of Harrison’s Foundation. “This is the legacy of giving.”.