Morris Hospital Foundation awards 12 health care scholarships to local students

The Morris Hospital Foundation recently awarded 12 scholarships to local students who are pursuing education in health care-related fields.

The $1,000 Relucio Family Healthcare Scholarship was established by retired Morris Hospital surgeon Dr. Ed Relucio and his wife, Marizon. Recipients include:

Felicity Emmerich, of Morris, who will be attending St. Ambrose University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology, pre-med this fall.

Veronica Wreck, of Wilmington, who will begin a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science at Illinois State University in the fall.

The $1,000 Carol Harrington Endowed Scholarship is named in honor of Morris Hospital’s former vice president of patient care services, who retired in 2008 after 43 years of service. Recipients include:

Bryce Claypool, of Morris, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Concordia University-Wisconsin;

Kylee Claypool, of Morris, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at St. Ambrose University;

Sophie Hipes, of Morris, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Illinois State University;

Lauren Machetta, of Marseilles, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Valparaiso University.

The Morris Hospital Foundation awards three $1,000 scholarships annually to Morris Hospital employees and their dependents who are pursuing an education in health care. This year’s recipients are:

Jenna Emmons, of Coal City, who is completing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at University of St. Francis in Joliet. Emmons currently is a rehabilitation assistant at Morris Hospital.

Harmony Neal, of Verona, who is pursuing a registered nurse degree at Joliet Junior College. Neal is the daughter of Deanna Neal, a Registration/Scheduling Representative at the Morris Hospital Diamond-Coal City Campus.

Mackenzie Zweeres, of Morris, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Florida Atlantic University. Zweeres is a CNA on at Morris Hospital.

This year, the Morris Hospital Foundation Scholarship committee selected three recipients to each receive a $5,000 Hugo Avalos Endowed Scholarship, established in honor of the late Dr. Hugo Avalos for students who have been accepted into or is enrolled in an accredited medical school, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant program. The 2023 Hugo Avalos Endowed Scholarship winners are:

Kaitlyn Forehand, of Morris, who has been accepted into the Illinois College of Optometry starting in the fall;

Julia Long, of Marseilles, who is pursuing a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri;

Sai Krupa Rajaramsiva, of Des Plaines, who is pursuing an allopathic medicine degree from Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

The Morris Hospital Foundation awards the health care scholarships annually. Applications for the 2024 scholarships will be available in February 2024.