Pryor Family Education Opportunity 2018 Recipient
Taking care of others has always come naturally to Marie Bate '20, who feels strongly that wherever she works, she would give her whole heart to make a difference in people's lives. She has been working professionally as a nurse all her adult life, but is now advancing her skills by pursuing a bachelor's in nursing—thanks to the support she receives from the Pryor Family Education Opportunity
I received my associate degree in nursing from Naugatuck Valley Technical College and have worked in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, camps, and with addiction and visiting nurse organizations. I've liked all my jobs, but I keep gravitating to school nursing and psychology. Enjoying kids helps a lot. In schools, you get to be part of the lives of children, you help them stay in class, help them be independent, talk with their parents, and more.
Two years ago, when I decided to switch from intermediate school to elementary, I found out that all the jobs required a bachelor's in nursing. That was the new entry level for school nursing and hospitals too. That's when a colleague told me about the University of Hartford. I came to the open house at UHart and loved it from the start. This program had service learning, and was not just online, so I could meet the professors and students. I knew immediately this was the program for me. I loved the involvement with the community, the holistic view of nursing, and the idea of a global community of support and caring—all of which would be brought back into the community by UHart nursing students.
I applied and got in, but the one thing that was in the way was the money. I did not have the funds to get myself through. I applied all over for scholarships and through one of my instructors, got the Pryor Family Education Opportunity Scholarship. Although I am an older student, I have been working for quite some time and I bring a lot of experience from jobs with me. The Pryors are my angel, the answer to my prayer. They are giving back so much to the community of nursing. I am so grateful that there are such wonderful people like them.
Marie Bate, '20At ENHP day, I was fortunate to have met the Pryors. I was amazed at their generosity to me and to other students at UHart. They have made all the difference in the world for me. I know every day how lucky I am to be at UHart and to have gotten this scholarship.