CONTACT:

Lia Unrau

Director of Communications

UW School of Nursing

206-221-2456

unrau@u.washington.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

UW School of Nursing students honored with Community Volunteer Recognition Award

SEATTLE (Jan. 15, 2009) -- Five School of ursing students were honored with a Community Volunteer Recognition award at the annual University of Washington Health Sciences’ Martin Luther King Jr. tribute on Jan. 15.

Students Hyacinth Sales, Kelsey Rounds, Kimmy Chu and Hilary Whitford as well as MN graduate Billierose Wheeler were honored for their work on the School of Nursing Diversity Awareness Group, or DAwG.   

                                                                            (Pictured L to R: Hilary Whitford; Hyacinth

                                                                                    Sales; Billierose Wheeler; Kimmy Chu;

                                                               Kelsey Rounds)

DAwG was formed two years ago to create a supportive network for underrepresented students in the School of Nursing. The group encourages scholarship, collaboration, networking and leadership on and off campus. They hold regular meetings to encourage student engagement, and in the past year led a book drive for nursing text books and implemented a borrowing library for students in need.

Among their many accomplishments, DAwG has been a key participant in the planning the School of Nursing’s Nurse Camp, expected to be held for the first time in summer 2009. The aim of Nurse Camp is to identify minority and low-income high school students interested in careers in health sciences.

They are currently organizing School of Nursing participation in providing breakfasts to youth at the ROOTS young adult shelter and have hosted a program for undergraduate minority students to connect with mentors before they enter the program.

For more information about the resources compiled by DAwG, please visit: http://www.son.washington.edu/diversity/mcbg