U.S. Veterans & Families Assisted by New Shelley Wilson Nursing Scholarship for Veterans
With the generosity of philanthropist and retired dentist, Dr. Lawrence K.W. Tseu, U.S. veterans and their families can transition to careers in nursing with support from the Shelley Wilson Nursing Scholarship for Veterans, created in honor of Shelley Wilson, founder, president and CEO of Wilson Care Group.
“I wanted to honor Shelley with a scholarship in her name because I want others to know what a tremendous job she does for others in the community,” said Dr. Tseu. “Shelley has overcome great adversity in her life and spends much of her time giving back to assist our kupuna and veterans.”
Shelley was only 18 years old when she found herself in the challenge of her life after being seriously injured in a car accident while on active duty as a medical specialist with the U.S. Army National Guard in Iowa. She was confined to a wheelchair for a year while undergoing a number of surgeries. Shelley’s severe injuries left her dependent on others to care for her 24/7, which was a great struggle for both her and her family.
Through this experience, Shelley realized how valuable dependable, compassionate home care could be, and after moving to Hawaii to complete her recovery, she started Wilson Homecare at the age of 21. The business struggled in its early years, but with determination, grit, and hard work, Shelley turned Wilson Homecare into one of Hawaii’s largest home healthcare service providers with more than 400 employees. Shelley is also the owner/administrator of Wilson Senior Living in Kailua, a new concept in residential senior care.
In honor of Shelley’s accomplishments and contributions to the community, the Shelley Wilson Nursing Scholarship for Veterans will help U.S. veterans and/or their family members start a career in the field of nursing. The scholarship will complement the Achieving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing: A Veterans’ Initiative Program, which was selected for a $342,472 federal grant awarded to UH Manoa Nursing to assist U.S. veterans with medical training backgrounds transition into a new career in nursing.
“As fellow veterans, Dr. Tseu and I both have great respect and admiration for the service men and women who sacrifice to serve our country,” said Wilson. “It’s wonderful to be able to provide this opportunity for veterans to pursue nursing as a career after military service.”
Mary G. Boland, dean of UH Manoa Nursing said, “We thank Dr. Lawrence K.W. Tseu for his continued generosity and support of UH Manoa Nursing in honor of his friend and colleague Shelley Wilson. For all that Shelley has accomplished, she is great role model for our students to look to for inspiration.”
To support students in the Achieving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing: A Veterans’ Initiative Program, or to make a gift in honor of Shelley Wilson, please make your fast, secure online donation at www.uhfoundation.org/givetonursing.
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About UH Manoa Nursing
UH Manoa Nursing, the Nursing Capitol of the Pacific, is the leader in nursing education and research in Hawaii with outreach to Asia and the Pacific Basin. We support the mission of the University of Hawaii at Manoa: to provide an innovative, caring and multicultural environment in which faculty, students and staff work together to generate and transmit knowledge, wisdom, and values to promote quality of life and health for present and future generations. The school offers the BS, master’s, and doctoral programs. To reflect Hawai‘I’s unique cultural diversity and heritage, UH Manoa Nursing is committed to increasing the representation of Native Hawaiian and other underserved people in all nursing programs. Visit us at www.nursing.hawaii.edu.
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