HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — VMRC announced the recipients of the first-ever Mary Reitz Nursing Scholarship. This year’s honorees include two VMRC staff members, Daniela Montero Ruiz and Kashif Polous-Masih, along with Faith Sisler, a recent high school graduate from the Harrisonburg community. Each recipient will receive up to $30,000 in scholarship support to pursue their nursing education, with the goal of becoming either a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse.

The VMRC Mary Reitz Nursing Scholarship honors Mary Reitz—a current resident, accomplished nurse, and former leader in nursing education—whose career inspired and mentored many into the profession.

The recipients were selected from a pool of 42 applicants by a six-person review committee, including Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed; Robyn Hill of Hess Financial; community leader and VMRC board member Debra Glick King; and VMRC leaders Rebecca Kline, Joe Hackman, and Thomas Stallings.

“Our future depends on a well-trained nursing workforce,” said Rebecca Kline, VMRC’s Vice President for Supportive Living. “The Mary Reitz Nursing Scholarship is more than an award; it’s a statement of confidence in these future nurses to help maintain the health of our community.”

VMRC CEO Jake Bell echoed that sentiment:

“We are proud to support the next generation of nursing professionals through this scholarship program. These outstanding recipients embody the dedication and resilience needed to advance the nursing field, and we look forward to seeing their positive impact in the years to come.”