Alesha Anderson

"Earning my bachelor’s degree in nursing will give me further job flexibility as a registered nurse and is the next step in the process of becoming a nurse practitioner."

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Alesha Anderson intends to transform her nursing degree into a bachelor’s degree through the RN to BSN program at the University of Arkansas to fulfill her dreams and gain more job security.

“Earning my bachelor’s degree in nursing will give me further job flexibility as a registered nurse and is the next step in the process of becoming a nurse practitioner,” Anderson said. “The program is challenging but such a rewarding career path. It is hard work, but nursing is a dream job.”

Anderson will begin working as a registered nurse in June 2020. Going to school online will give her the flexibility to work full time and still further her education, she said.

Anderson prioritizes her schooling to be a nurse but stays involved in her community as a preschool bible-school teacher, charity volunteer and a member of a highway cleanup team.

“While in high school I was on a leadership team for an event called ‘Christmas in September,’” Anderson said. “In one night, we raised over $5,000 in our small community to buy over 30 children Christmas presents. I am also involved with a highway cleanup team that goes out once a month and cleans up litter along the sides of the roads in our community to better our environment and make our small town look cleaner.”

Anderson is one of 23 people to receive the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for online U of A students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Her goal is to work as a bedside registered nurse while she furthers her education.

“It means so much to be to be awarded this scholarship,” Anderson said. “College is expensive. Through the help of scholarships such as the W.E Manning Memorial scholarship, it makes attending college a lot less stressful. I can focus on working hard to obtain my degree and not worry about how I am going to pay for the class that I am taking.”