Scholarships

Congratulations Yeyin Chen!

Yeyin Chen was awarded the 2023 LHAAMC Scholarship from Bo’s Effort. She is currently working in the LHAAMC McNew Psychiatric Inpatient Unit and currently pursuing the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) track within the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.

“I have a strong passion to help those who are inflicted with mental illnesses, acute and chronic. Working with this population has given me new perspectives and has helped me empathize with the struggles that are unique to each individual. Seeing how people can be resilient and improve, I have found motivation to help those, especially considering the stigma that plagues mental health. At my previous job, I helped those who were uninsured or had no insurance at all and who struggled with finding providers. Seeing the underserved and the shortage of providers motivates me to become an advanced nurse provider.

As a full-time employee attending DNP classes with two young boys and a husband who also does shift work, life can often be the biggest obstacle to getting my work done. Additionally, low funds translate to lower opportunities to make arrangements for when life gets messy. Rarely do any of us have control over our lives, but I try to juggle the life I live as a nurse, a mother, and as a wife as best as I can. That being said, the Bo's Effort scholarship will definitely help me –– academically and psychologically –– to pay for my schooling and the resources I need.”

Desirae Smith won the LHAAMC Nursing Scholarship from Bo’s Effort in 2022

When I became a registered nurse, I knew I wanted to work with the brain or the mind. I have worked in the psychiatric/mental health field most of my professional career as a RN. This is my passion. I am driven and motivated to break the negative stigma and inspire others to educate themselves about mental illness. I helped open the Luminis Health J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center in April 2020, which is a stand-alone mental health facility that provides both inpatient and outpatient mental health services. With the help of scholarship funding from Bo’s Effort, I am able to continue my education and am currently working towards a master’s degree in nursing. I want to reach larger audiences, providing hope to those struggling with their mental illness and lack of resources. With the Bo’s Effort scholarship, I can work with confidence while simultaneously earning an advanced degree to support my future.