Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio is partnering with Tenet Healthcare to award $2 million in scholarships to area college students pursuing careers in health care.
The colleges and universities distributing the scholarships will give first priority to students from six San Antonio school districts: Edgewood, San Antonio, Harlandale, South San, Southside and Southwest.
“Before, (the scholarships were) just for any student in San Antonio, but in light of what we know about these school districts, our board felt like they needed the most help,” said Cody Knowlton, president of the Baptist Health Foundation. “Education is the great equalizer. It really buoys everyone who receives a degree. It improves their housing, their way of life, their job, their access to health care.”
The foundation said these districts were selected based on several socioeconomic indicators, including per capita income and life expectancy.
Fox Tech High School graduate José Paramo received the scholarship last year, before SAISD graduates were given priority. He said the scholarship made a big difference in his pursuit of a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of the Incarnate Word.
“From having to work after class, or having to work on the weekends, now I’m able to focus more on my education, of course, give all out on my clinicals, and this is really helping me shape as a future nursing professional,” Paramo said.
Aimee Oates, who received the scholarship in 2016, also said it helped her focus on her nursing degree at UIW.
“Instead of spending countless hours worrying about finances, picking up overtime hours at work and praying that I’m not buried in debt when I graduate, I can now instead spend that time learning the craft of healing the sick and comforting the broken,” Oates said.
Baptist Health Foundation has been giving area colleges grants for health care scholarships since 2005.
Camille Phillips can be reached at camille@tpr.org or on Twitter @cmpcamille
