2024-2025 NEF Scholars, Claire Petchler, Kelly Priti, Jocelyn Marx,
NEF President Joan Marren, Adedeji Ademola

An enthusiastic group of nursing leaders, nursing educators, health care business executives, NEF Board members and NEF Scholars came together in the beautiful surroundings of the Columbus Citizens Foundation Townhouse in New York City on May 22, 2025, to support and celebrate the 113 year old non-profit, Nurses Educational Funds, Inc, (NEF) one of the oldest and largest nursing nonprofit corporations in the United States whose mission is to raise money to award scholarships to graduate (master's and doctoral) degree nursing students.

While guests socialized with old friends and met new friends, caterers served delicious refreshments.

A formal program followed that included:

• Opening remarks by NEF President, Joan Marren, MEd, MA, RN.
• Keynote speaker, Diane Mancino, EdD, RN, FAAN, who presented the life's work of "An Extraordinary, Ordinary Nurse - Maxine E. Elkan", in whose name Dr. Mancino has established a permeant $50,000 Memorial NEF Scholarship. The scholarship will be given annually to a PhD or EdD student pursuing a career as a nurse educator.
• Three other new NEF Scholarships were announced.
  1. CUPHSONAA. INC./Penny Hund West Permanent Scholarship
  2. Mount Sinai SON NY Alumni Association Scholarship Fund
  3. Martha Rodriguez Scholarship Fund
• A special video interview: "A Tribute to Henry B. Spencer" was presented by Joan Arnold, PhD, RN, NEF Board Member.
• NEF Board Member Nancy Roecklein, PhD, ANP-BC, RN, introduced the 2024-2025 NEF Scholars in Attendance
  • Adedeji Ademola, MS student attending Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing City University of New York, who received the Estelle Massey Osborne Scholarship,
  • Jocelyn Marx, DNP student attending Chamberlain University, who received the Edith M. Pritchard Scholarship,
  • Claire Petchler, PhD-DNP student attending Johns Hopkins University, who received the Isabel Hampton Robb Scholarship,
  • Kelly Preti, DNP/MBA student attending Johns Hopkins University, who received the Henry B. Spencer Scholarship.
  • The biographies of all 46 NEF Scholars from 2024-2025 are posted on the NEF website: www.n-e-f.org
• An In-Memoriam Tribute to Lawrence Siegel, JD, MBA, former NEF Board Member was given by Cynthia Sculco, EdD, RN, NEF Board Member.
• The program ended with a second In-Memoriam Tribute by former Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Nursing, Maureen Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, to the American Academy of Nursing Legend and NEF Board Member for fifty years, Thelma Schorr, BSN, RN, FAAN, who passed away at the age of 100 years in December 2024.

A great fundraising celebration for Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) supporting and promoting graduate nursing education.

To support the ongoing work of NEF please consider a donation of any amount.

Tax deductible donations may be given to NEF via the NEF Website at:
https://www.n-e-f.org/donate.html
or by check to NEF and mailed to:
NEF, 137 Montague Street, Ste. 144, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(Please indicate if the donation is for a particular scholarship on the memo line.)
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The 2025 Gala Sponsors

Ruby

• New York City Health + Hospitals
• NYU Langone Health
• The Mount Sinai Health System Nursing and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing

Amethyst

• Henry B. Spencer, NEF Advisory Board Member

Topaz

• Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing
• Cynthia D. Sculco, EdD, RN, NEF Board Member - In Memory of Larry Siegel
• Gotham Companies
• NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
• The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing

Pearl

• Allison Adams Wieczorek, BS, BA, NEF Advisory Board Member
• Ann Vanderberg, MA, MBA, RN, Treasurer of NEF
• Betsy M. McDowell, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, NEF Board Member
• Cathryne A. Welch
• Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
• Joan Marren, MEd, MA, RN, President of NEF
• Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
• Lienhard School of Nursing, College of Health Professions at Pace University
• Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE)
• Pat Siegel - In Memory of Lawrence J. Siegel, MBA, JD
• Philip J. Ryan, CPA, NEF Board Member
• Rosanne Raso, DNP, RN, NEA-BC FAAN, Secretary of NEF
• Susan Bowar-Ferres, PhD, RN, NEF Board Member Emeritus
• VNS Health

Benefactors

• Elizabeth Duthie, PhD, CPPS, FAAN
• Francine Bono-Neri, PhD, RN, APRN, PNP, NEF Scholar
• Rita Reiss Wieczorek, EdD, RN, PNP, FAAN, NEF Board Member Emeritus & Robert Wieczorek
• Whitney Thornton, DNP, MS, RN, NEF Scholar

Patrons

• Annie George, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CCRN, NEF Scholar
• Harriet Feldman, PhD, RN, FAAN, NEF Board Member
• JAHF Discretionary Grant

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