The UNC Charlotte Association of Nursing Students (ANS) will receive the Outstanding Student Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals at a celebratory luncheon on Nov. 7. Nominated by Heather Shaughnessy, development officer for the College of Health and Human Services, the ANS was recognized for its establishment of the Ashley Lutz Memorial Scholarship, in memory of a deceased classmate.
Lutz was known for her kindness, compassion and dedication to the profession of nursing. Diagnosed with cancer in her senior year of nursing school, she never missed a day of clinical practice and insisted on taking her final exams from her hospital bed.
“Ashley was committed to serving others and making a difference in the lives of her patients,” said Shaughnessy. “She never wavered from her passion of becoming a nurse.”
Named in her honor, the Ashley Lutz Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates an extraordinary passion for nursing and a commitment to serving others.
ANS President Katie Preske and her peers spearheaded the creation of the Ashley Lutz Memorial Scholarship in Nursing, gaining support from Sigma Theta Tau International, Gamma Iota chapter—nursing’s professional honor society.
UNC Charlotte-ANS is an organization of pre-nursing and BSN nursing students whose goal is to assist in preparing students for a future in nursing. The group strives to increase knowledge about the nursing profession and participate in community programs.
Dee Baldwin, associate dean and director of the School of Nursing, noted, “it is the students in this organization who will make great leaders in the nursing profession; they have already demonstrated one of the most important core values of a being a professional—caring.”
Charlotte’s Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs. Each year they honor individuals and organizations for their commitment to the philanthropic sector in the Charlotte community.
Additional information about the scholarship, including how to make a donation, is available online.