United through Scholarship: 2023 Scholarships & Awards Banquet

The College of Nursing hosted a full house for this year’s Scholarships and Awards Banquet. Students, alumni, and friends of the college came together to celebrate Homecoming 2023 and the accomplishments of the Spartan Nursing community.

The evening was guided by a theme of lighting the way forward. Every member of the college’s community can guide each other along the path to success, as evidenced by a quote from Mary Ann Radmacher, a prominent writer and poet. The quote reads, “As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.”

"I am a proud Spartan, and I will make MSU prouder." Marie Adkins, PMHNP student

The banquet honored this academic year’s scholarship recipients and supporters of those scholarships. Some scholarship recipients spoke on behalf of the cohort to express their gratitude for the financial assistance. “My success will be the success of MSU, and I will proudly carry that with me no matter where I go,” said Marie Adkins, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner student and recipient of the Behavioral Health NP Scholarship. “I am a proud Spartan, and I will make MSU prouder.”

The Scholarship and Awards Banquet also honored this year’s Alumni Award winners. Teberah Alexander, BSN ’03, was awarded the Alumni Service award for her collaboration with Detroit Renaissance High School and Excelling Nursing Academy. Emily Krueger, DNP ’22, received the Recent Graduate Achievement Award for her professional achievements. Her efforts at Trinity Health Grand Rapids increased patient compliance after knee and hip arthroplasties from 60% to nearly 100%. Joan Brueggeman, BSN ’87, was awarded this year’s Distinguished Alumni award, the highest award a College of Nursing alumni can receive from the college. Brueggeman holds several leadership roles in in national case management associations and a passionately dedicated Spartan, serving on the CON Alumni Board since 2017.

Watch a recorded live-stream of the ceremony here.