SON Ambassador Program
About the Program
Launched in Fall 2022, the WVU School of Nursing Ambassador Program offers three positions each academic year on the Morgantown Campus, as well as one position each on the Beckley and Keyser Campuses.
Selected students must attend and assist with SON/WVU events for prospective students, whether in person or virtual, along with working four office hours each non-event week in the Office of Student Services or elsewhere within SON as needed.
Students will be compensated with a $1,000 academic scholarship for the academic year, awarded in $500 increments per semester. Candidates must be in good academic standing.
When applications are open, students will receive an email with additional information about how to apply.
To learn more, contact program director Phillip Engelkemier (Phillip.engelkemier@hsc.wvu.edu) or program assistant director Wendy Holdren (wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu). Please indicate the campus where you are located.
Meet Our Morgantown Ambassadors
Pictured from left, senior Aiden Slusser, junior Kylie Dick, junior Bella Botero and junior Ella Tingler.
Aiden Slusser and Kylie Dick were selected in Fall 2022 as two of the inaugural SON Ambassadors. Joining them in 2023 are Bella Botero and Ella Tingler.
Slusser, of Fairmont, said he applied to the ambassador program because of the benefit he saw from speaking to upper-level nursing students himself.
“Now in this position, I want to be that person who the younger students and new potential WVU School of Nursing students can talk to and connect with to feel more confident in what to expect entering nursing school,” Slusser said.
He said he chose nursing as his profession because he wants to positively impact people when they need it most.
“Even if the patient doesn’t remember my name, I want them to remember me as the nurse who treated them with kindness and gave them the utmost respect,” Slusser said.
Dick, of Bowie, Maryland, said she applied to the ambassador program because she is passionate about the nursing program at WVU.
“When I was applying to schools, the program at WVU stood out,” Dick said. “I want to share my experience with others and bring more students who are passionate about nursing to WVU.”
She said she has always been interested in healthcare, but an anatomy course in high school really steered her toward nursing as a profession: “I learned more about nursing and realized it was the perfect fit for me.”
Botero, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, is an active community member who looks forward to helping others get their footing.
“I am most looking forward to meeting and interacting with the incoming freshman!” she said. “I have a passion for helping others and love being able to answer questions or ease nerves for people.”
Botero is also an active member of WVU CHAARG, TRiO/Student Support Services, WVU Student Nurses Association, WVU Paws, and Helvetia, in addition to working with the WVU Wrestling Team.
Tingler, of Fairmont, is looking forward to creating new connections with first-year nursing students.
“It is so important to have support while in nursing in order to be successful,” she said. “By having this program available, students know they have someone to reach out to so they can become comfortable with making such a big decision regarding their future career.”
After graduation, she wants to become a pediatric nurse in a clinic setting.
Meet Our Beckley Ambassador
Kaitlyn Sizemore, of Shady Spring, West Virginia, is a junior in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
After the Morgantown Campus program was established in Fall 2022, Sizemore was selected in Spring 2023 as the Beckley Campus Ambassador.
“I wanted to be an ambassador because I want to become more involved within my program, but also to help other students coming into the program feel welcomed,” Sizemore said. “I chose nursing because I have always enjoyed helping those in need, and I want to be able to make a difference within the community.”
Meet Our Keyser Ambassador
Jessica Maynard, of Keyser, West Virginia, is a senior in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
After the Morgantown Campus program was established in Fall 2022, Maynard was selected in Spring 2023 as the Keyser Campus Ambassador.
“I wanted to become an ambassador to share my passion of nursing with prospective and current students,” Maynard said. “I chose to pursue nursing because of the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of patients in need.”
Maynard was also selected in October 2022 as a WV Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Rural Health Scholar.