Women Involved in Supporting the Hospital (WISH) has awarded its first full scholarship, the Mona L. Rader Scholarship, to Carlie Snook of Clewiston to pursue her education to become a Registered Nurse.

Picture attached: (LtoR) Cindy Carroll, Carlie Snook and Brenda Lopez. (Submitted photo)

WISH was developed in 2012 by a group of enthusiastic and dedicated women looking for ways to give back to the community through the Hendry Regional Medical Center (HRMC) Foundation. This non-profit organization is designed to unite women of all ages and backgrounds in an effort to make a difference in promoting healthcare excellence in Hendry County and its surrounding communities.

Each January WISH hosts their annual Fashion Show as a fundraiser for the organization. The dollars raised are used to fund a scholarship for a local student and to provide lifesaving equipment to HRMC. In previous years WISH has funded partial scholarships. “Providing educational opportunities to local students through our scholarships is a win-win for the Hospital, the community and for WISH,” stated Cindy Carroll, WISH President.

This year WISH was able to provide their first full scholarship of $16,000 due to the bequest and generosity of Mona L. Rader. “My aunt would be extremely happy to know she was furthering education through a scholarship in her name. She never attended college however she recognized the significance of secondary education and its impact on the youth in her community,” stated Brenda Lopez, Executor of the Mona L. Rader Estate.

“Since I was young I have always wanted to work as a nurse in the Emergency Room. There is an adrenaline rush working in a fast paced environment providing excellent healthcare to someone in their time of need,” said Carlie Snook, Mona L. Rader scholarship recipient. Snook is currently attending Rasmussen College School of Nursing where she is an Honor Roll and Dean’s List recipient.

At the conclusion of the 18 month program Snook will return to the local community as a Registered Nurse and gain first hand healthcare experience working at Hendry Regional Medical Center. “The goal of WISH is to play a pivotal role in the development and advancement of our local community’s health. Through scholarships like this one we are able to help people from home obtain secondary education, who then return to our community and provide excellent healthcare to our citizens,” said Carroll.

The WISH Fashion Show will take place on January 20, 2018 at the John B. Boy Auditorium in Clewiston. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still available. Interested parties may call 863-983-2735 for more information.

About Hendry Regional Medical Center: Hendry Regional Medical Center is a 25-bed critical access hospital that incorporates modern technology with state-of-the-art medical staff to care for its patients. Hendry Regional Medical Center’s mission is “to excel in quality, compassion, and innovation to make our community healthier.”