WICHITA, Kan. – In April, Tabor College junior Deidra Cramer received a $5,000 scholarship from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation Scholarship. The Wichita native currently has a 4.0 GPA and the scholarship will definitely help fund her education.
“I truly wasn’t expecting to receive this scholarship,” Cramer said. “When I got the news, I was overwhelmed and humbled. There is a huge relief in knowing this part of my tuition is paid for. But beyond that, it reaffirms that I am pursuing the purpose that God created me for and called me to. I am grateful, thankful and blessed to have been chosen as the recipient of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Scholarship. God is good!”
Marlene Pietrocola, chair, division of nursing at Tabor, said, “I am very proud of Deidra and her pride as a nurse serving in Kansas. Deidra reflects the mission of Tabor College, which in part, is to serve Christ and His kingdom.”
Cramer attending college at Tabor has been a long-time coming.
“Ever since I was a youth, I wanted to attend Tabor College,” Cramer said. “My mom graduated from Tabor, the college is closely affiliated with my church and its faith based.
“When I went back to school for nursing, I had no doubt I would continue my education and get my BSN,” she added. “When I learned that Tabor had a RN to BSN program, I knew that this was my opportunity to attend and obtain my degree in nursing from there.”
Cramer said the faculty and staff at Tabor has taken care of her needs as a student.
“Everyone has been genuinely warm, welcoming and personable,” she said. “With each encounter I have with someone at Tabor, I truly feel cared about as a student and a person. Not only do they care about my academics, but they care about how I am doing emotionally, financially and spiritually. I don’t know of another place that puts the time and effort into getting to know and keep in touch with their students on a personal level the way Tabor does.”
After she graduates in fall 2016, Cramer plans to continue serving and growing as a nurse in her current position at the Neuro Critical Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. She also wants to continue serving in the community through volunteer work and continue her education—pursuing an advanced degree in nursing—but her goals don’t stop there.
“My dream is to participate in medical missions,” she said. “Christ has called His people to serve others and that is my desire and passion. My faith in God is my foundation and at the center of everything I do.”