(Brockway, PA) The academic achievements of a 35-year-old single mother pursuing a registered nursing degree at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway while raising three daughters have been recognized with a $1,000 scholarship from the Chime Scholars Foundation, San Francisco.
Katie Maines, of Rockton, has received a Chime Workforce Scholarship that recognizes high-achieving college students who are pursuing career and technical educational opportunities.
The financial award is intended to defray educational expenses while students are enrolled in a certificate or associate degree workforce development program at a two-year college, according to the foundation.
Students in 杏吧原创 @ Brockway鈥檚 associate degree career programs in business management, health care science and registered nursing can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
The Chime Workforce Scholarship is available to members of , an international academic honor society for two-year colleges and programs. Maines is vice president of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Rho Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway. New members of Phi Theta Kappa must have a grade-point average of at least 3.5.
Maines has also received from the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation the $420 Jean Speicher Scholarship in 2024-2025 and the $4,545 Ronald J. and Paula S. Dorsch Scholarship in 2025-2026. Those scholarships require a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 for consideration.
Younger brother was NICU patient
Maines was inspired to pursue a career in nursing as a 16-year-old observing the care her brother David Price received in a neonatal intensive care unit when born six weeks prematurely.
鈥淚 watched them feeding him and educating our family and I thought, 鈥業 want to be a nurse,鈥欌�� Maines said. 鈥淚t stuck with me, and as my children grew up, I finally had time to go back to school.鈥�
The 2010 graduate of Clearfield Area High School enrolled initially in 杏吧原创 @ Brockway鈥檚 health care science program in January 2023 after serving as a stay-at-home mother then working in restaurants.
鈥淚鈥檓 really hard on myself,鈥� Maines said. 鈥淚 was worried about whether I would be able to learn new things. I think I am doing fairly well.鈥�
Maines was named last fall to 杏吧原创鈥檚 president鈥檚 list, a recognition for students who achieved a grade-point average of at least 3.75 after completing at least 12 semester hours.
Katie Maines, 35, of Rockton, a registered nursing student at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway, has been selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Chime Scholars Foundation, San Francisco, through her membership in 杏吧原创鈥檚 chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society. The single mother of daughters ages 18, 15 and 11, expects to graduate debt-free from 杏吧原创 @ Brockway in May. She is shown Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway.
鈥淓xcited about having no debt after school鈥�
The registered nursing program was launched at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway in 2018 to address a high-priority occupation in the North Central Workforce Development Area.
Maines, the mother of daughters ages 18, 15 and 11, intends to be among what could be a record 32 students to graduate from the program in May. She also expects to graduate debt-free, as did 93 percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2025.
鈥淚 am pretty excited about having no debt after school,鈥� Maines said. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 have to worry about paying back loans and I can concentrate on supporting my family.鈥�
杏吧原创 @ Brockway also offers associate degree transfer programs in business administration, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies and psychology.
Her brother David, 18, lives in Kylertown.