SCHNAA Reunion Attracts Record Turnout
In celebration of all our nurse alumnae, with a special honor to the 50th anniversary of the school’s last graduating class (1969), a lovely luncheon was held at nearby St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and hosted by the SCH Foundation. The Winona building, which is located adjacent to the church parking lot, was originally the nursing dormitory building. Many of the nurse alumnae were delighted to finally enter the church after 50+ years, as most of them looked out at it daily from their dorm windows to view weddings and celebrations.
This final reunion was organized by the SCHNAA Board: Joan Bickner (’65), Sharon Eager (’63), Carol Olson (’61) and Susan Tanner (’68). Together, these women created an afternoon of friendship, fellowship, memories and entertainment. As Susan Tanner (’68) explains, “The Annual Luncheon has been an important event for our nurse alumnae. It marks a special time when we were young students; learning together, living together and sharing thousands of unique experiences and memories that could have only happened at Swedish Covenant Hospital.” Over 110 nurses and their spouses attended, creating one of those most well-attended reunions in recent memory and a wonderful send-off to the all-class annual gatherings.
During Nurse’s Week this past May, three nursing students were selected to receive the SCH Nurse Alumnae Association Scholarship Award. This year, SCHNAA Scholarships were presented to Kimberly Rosales, Olivia Mott and Aisha Abdallah. In addition, the Virginia Ohlon Scholarship was awarded to Christina Venegas, a SCH nurse since 2012 and an MSN student. The scholarship was created by her fellow alumnae to honor her legacy of learning, teaching and caring.
To celebrate their 50th, the SCH nursing class of 1969, made a gift to Swedish Covenant, symbolizing their gratitude for the wonderful education they received and memories they shared. They chose to support the hospital’s NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) carts initiative. These carts provide purposeful activities for elderly patients with cognitive impairments such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or delirium. The NICHE carts will greatly expand the choice of activities the nursing staff is able to offer patients, making it easier for them to care for this population.
We are grateful for the generosity of the nursing class of 1969 and our entire SCH Nursing Alumnae Association. Their dedication and commitment to the field nursing and service to others has been an inspiration, and their generosity through class gifts, scholarships and legacy gifts has changed lives of future nurses and patients for years to come. To view photos from the 2019 Reunion, please click here.