Nursing student receives Johnson scholarship
Anna Steffek, a junior nursing student at Texas A&M University-Victoria, was recently named the Johnson Scholar and awarded a scholarship.
The Hallettsville student will receive a scholarship created by the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation that covers the full cost of tuition, fees and books for her studies at A&M-Victoria as she works to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Steffek is enrolled in the concurrent nursing program offered by A&M-Victoria and Victoria College.
“I’m just so proud and grateful,” she said. “This will make things so much easier. I’m grateful that others want to help students out and build a better future for us.”
To be named a Johnson Scholar, students must be enrolled as a full-time student, demonstrate leadership potential and have an excellent academic record.
“We are excited to congratulate Anna Steffek for earning this award,” said Dorothy Thomas, director of the nursing program. “Her commitment to higher education and willingness to serve speaks to the essence of the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Scholar Award. We are thrilled that she is receiving this prestigious award. It highlights the importance of supporting aspiring professionals. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation for their invaluable support of our nursing program.”
Steffek is working toward earning her nursing degree so she can support her community. As a native of Hallettsville, A&M-Victoria and Victoria College were close enough for her to drive to classes while staying close to home.
When she’s not taking classes, she works part time as a unit clerk at the Lavaca Medical Center in Hallettsville. The work gives her an opportunity to interact with nurses and learn about charting patients and the systems used in the medical field. When she graduates, Steffek hopes to go into pediatrics in her hometown.
“I love working with children because they’re so easy to connect with,” she said. “I want to help children with their needs, and I want to be there for the parents as they are going through difficult times. I’m so grateful for this support. I’ve found what I want to do with my future, and this award is helping to make it happen.”
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.