BLINN STUDENT WORKING TOWARDS NURSING DEGREE

  

Blinn College Brenham Campus student Ileesha Bradford didn’t have to look far to find the inspiration to pursue a career in nursing.

Bradford’s mom, Idell, worked in the medical field as a nurse’s aide, and she said that sort of sparked her interest, and as she got older, she fell in love with the idea of helping people.

A 2020 graduate of Brenham High School, Bradford graduated from Blinn in May 2023 with an associate degree in liberal arts. She then entered Blinn’s acclaimed nursing program and wants to eventually become a registered nurse.

Bradford is a recipient of the Wheeler Upward Bound Nursing Scholarship.

The scholarship, which was made possible by the F.W. Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation, benefits dozens of associate degree nursing, vocational nursing, and licensed vocational nursing-transition students each year.

During the past five years, Blinn has received $1.4 million in scholarship funding from the Wheeler Foundation to benefit nursing students such as Bradford.

She also received the Melton Schoenvogel Scholarship, established in 2012 by Mrs. Clarence Schoenvogel.

Her husband, Dr. Clarence Schoenvogel, was the team physician for the Blinn football team for many years. The scholarship is awarded to a deserving student demonstrating financial need in the licensed vocational nurse or Associate Degree Nursing programs.

The 10-month program includes classroom, laboratory, and clinical training. Clinical rotations are held at hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the area.

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, almost 98% of Blinn’s graduates from the program during the past three years have found jobs in the profession.

For more information regarding Blinn’s Vocational Nursing Program, visit www.blinn.edu/vocational-nursing.