The Academic Achievement Scholarship is the most honorable merit-based financial award given to current Clarkson College students. In recognition of their proven academic ability and achievement, this year’s recipients are Casey Buresh, Kendra Croghan, Jesse Grimes, Megan Leach and Andrea Olson.
Academic Achievement Scholarship winners receive $4,000 per semester—up to $12,000 per academic year—for the remainder of their enrollment period at Clarkson College, provided certain requirements ascribed in the scholarship terms are met. The 17 undergraduate students who qualified for the award this academic year met the following criteria:
- Successfully completed 24 semester hours at Clarkson College.
- Achieved a 3.90 or higher cumulative grade point average at the end of the spring 2016 semester.
- Enrolled full-time for the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters.
- Demonstrated community involvement.
To be considered as a recipient for the Academic Achievement Scholarship, all qualified candidates must fill out an application, write an essay and submit a letter of recommendation from a Clarkson College faculty member. An internal scholarship selection committee then meets to discuss applications and invites the top candidates in for an interview.
If a candidate is the recipient of another Clarkson College merit-based scholarship (Diamond, Gold, Platinum, Silver or Bronze), the funds received from that award are substituted by those awarded from the Academic Achievement Scholarship fund.
When the College began offering the Academic Achievement Scholarship in 2013, funds were available for just one recipient. The following year, the number of recipients increased to two and then up to four in 2015. Five recipients this year marks a new milestone, thanks to a fortunate and steady increase of internal funding.
Previous Academic Achievement Scholarship recipients include:
- 2015: Marissa Arana, BSN major; Danielle Herbolsheimer, BSN major; Heather Knapp, PTA and Health Care Services major; and Heather Speck, RT and Medical Imaging major
- 2014: Rebecca Groot, PTA major; and Kaelia Carlsen, RT and Medical Imaging major
- 2013: Andrew Kummer, BSN major
Casey Buresh, Physical Therapist Assistant major
Casey Buresh was born in Fremont, Neb. and grew up in LaPorte, Ind. He enrolled in the Clarkson College PTA program in fall 2015, seven years after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise from Creighton University. He is an active member of both the American Physical Therapy Association and the Nebraska Physical Therapy Association and currently works as a tech at Makovicka Physical Therapy and as a bartender at Upstream Brewing Co.
Alumni of the PTA program influenced Buresh’s decision to enroll at Clarkson College. “I have worked with several graduates and heard great things about the program,” he says.
Buresh considers the Academic Achievement Scholarship a payoff for his hard work and determination to excel. “I am honored to have my efforts acknowledged and will use this scholarship as further motivation to put forth my best effort to become the best possible PTA I can be.”
Buresh expects to graduate in Summer 2017 and hopes to serve as a leader in the local physical therapy community. “I want to be someone my peers look up to and treat my patients in a way that makes them want to come see me even after their therapy needs are met.”
Kendra Croghan, Radiologic Technology and Medical Imaging dual degree major
Kendra Croghan is from Malvern, Iowa and enrolled in the Clarkson College RT and Medical Imaging dual degree program in August 2015. She served as a Student Ambassador her first two semesters at the College and will soon be inducted into the Lambda Nu National Honor Society for the Radiologic and Imaging Sciences. Currently, she is a work study in the Professional Development office and also works at the Fairview Hills Golf Course in her hometown.
Croghan says was drawn to Clarkson College for its reputation and the structure of the RT and Medical Imaging programs. “Unlike some other colleges, students take all of their required didactic work before going out to clinical so they can begin working with patients right away.” She also thrives off of the affirmation she gets simply from being on campus. “When I walk through the doors of Clarkson College and see the saying ‘Prepare to be the best,’ I feel very confident in my skills as a future health care provider and a sense of pride knowing that I will be a graduate of Clarkson College.”
“I feAlong with her confidence as a student and future graduate, Croghan says she also feels very honored to be a recipient of the Academic Achievement Scholarship. “I work very hard to keep high grades, so this is very rewarding,” she says. “I am also very grateful for the financial burden it will remove off my shoulders, allowing me to focus even more on my studies and becoming the best health care provider I can be.”
Upon graduating in fall 2017, Croghan hopes to work in a small-town hospital and utilize her specializations in computed tomography, mammography and bone densitometry. “A strong part of me also believes that, after working for five to 10 years, I will complete my master’s degree and become a teacher to future Radiologic Technology and Medical Imaging students.”
Jesse Grimes, Physical Therapist Assistant major
Jesse Grimes comes to Clarkson College from Wheaton, Minn.— a small rural town in west central Minnesota. He enrolled in the PTA transfer program in fall 2015 and previously attended South Dakota State where he majored in Agriculture.
Several things stuck out to Grimes about Clarkson College and the PTA program. First, he saw the educational partnership between the College and Nebraska Medicine as a symbol of strong reputation and respect. The transfer option that would allow him to earn his degree in one year and select his own clinical rotations was also a big attraction. Solidifying his decision to apply was a campus visit. “This gave me the chance to see how professional the PTA program was and how highly knowledgeable the faculty were,” he says. “Seeing this unique, professional program, along with their motto of ‘Prepare to be the Best’ made me want to be a part of this College.” Even the application process made a positive impression on Grimes. “The individuals who helped were so welcoming and made the process so easy for me.”
Grimes is on track to graduate in fall 2016. He is open to relocating as he starts out in his PTA career but says working in either a sports medicine clinic or an assisted living setting and eventually getting back to his hometown would be ideal. Wherever he ends up, Grimes is certain to arrive with determination. “I plan to represent Clarkson College to the highest of my abilities in my future as a health care provider,” he says.
Megan Leach, Physical Therapist Assistant major
Megan Leach of Lincoln, Neb. enrolled in the Clarkson College PTA transfer program in fall 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Science already under her belt. She currently works at Peak Physical Therapy as a Stott Pilates instructor in Lincoln and commutes to class each day.
Prior to applying to Clarkson College, Leach says the reputation of the institution was evident through her friendships with various alumni of various majors. “They all expressed how confident employers were in their abilities when they saw that they attended Clarkson College on their resumes,” she says. “Also, when I made my campus visit, I was impressed with how serious everyone took the College Mission and Values. I could tell it was much more than just words to those who worked there.”
Leach feels humbled and appreciative for her selection as one of the 2016 Academic Achievement Scholarship recipients. “This means I am on the right track to upholding the values that Clarkson College expects of me,” she says. “It also gives me validation that my hard work and dedication toward my academics and becoming an exceptional PTA are noticed and fortified.”
After graduating in fall 2016, Leach’s primary career goal is to be a PTA in a rehabilitation hospital where she can serve as a critical part of the recovery process for a wide variety of patients from different backgrounds. She also has aspirations to expand on her PTA career in a service-orientated was. “I want to create a group called the Rubber Bandits that will go to local nursing homes and assisted living facilities and provide exercise classes for the elderly.” During visits, Leach says she would apply her knowledge as a PTA to provide exercises using Thera-bands® to help improve patients’ musculoskeletal function and keep them moving as they age.
Andrea Olson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing major
Andrea Olson of Papillion, Neb. enrolled in the Clarkson College BSN program in fall 2014.Prior to her enrollment, she attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Metropolitan Community College. She is a mother of three and is employed as a patient care tech in the Peggy Cowdery Patient Care Center at Nebraska Medicine.
Like some of her fellow scholarship recipients, Olson chose Clarkson College because of its strong reputation, as well as the various opportunities for hands-on clinical experience.
Olson says being recognized and rewarded for her hard work through the Academic Achievement Scholarship is an honor. “I was unsure of my abilities to balance schoolwork with my home life,” she explains. “My success in the program has shown that with determination and a positive outlook anything is possible.”
Olson’s anticipated graduation date is spring 2017. “I hope to spend the first few years of my career gaining clinical experience and then exploring my options to further my education,” she says.
