Thank you to the Louise Fleisher Memorial Fund in collaboration with the Americans for Native Americans

Americans for Native Americans

...From the 2007-08 scholarship winner, Navajo nursing student, Mary, of the Salt Clan of Lukachukai

“My name is Mary, and I come from the Salt Clan of Lukachukai, AZ.  I am a 36-year-old mother of two children, ages 11 and 6.  I am grateful for this scholarship because I have been praying for how I was going to pay for school.  First, I was very surprised that I got into the UNM-G Nursing Program, and even more surprised when I learned I was chosen for this generous scholarship.  Until recently, I spent a year with my children in a transitional housing facility called Sarah’s House in Aztec, NM.  For the two months prior to that I was in a Safe House for abused women and children.  My husband and I had been on and off again for approximately 11 years.  Our combined income was more than $90,000 per year.  However, he lost his job due to his alcoholism and that’s when he really became abusive to me.  Shortly thereafter, I moved to the Safe House because I didn’t want my children to witness any more violence against me and I was concerned for their mental health, as well.   Even though I was working at Wal-Mart for eight years, I just couldn’t make ends meet even in the transitional housing.  Through a friend I was able to get a better job working as an appointment clerk in a rural Indian Health Service hospital.  When there, the Anglo nurses would make sure that I was exposed to different departments and processes with regard to nursing.  I was encouraged to go into nursing.  At one point I looked at myself and where I come from and made a decision.  I come from a well-educated Navajo family – my mother, who is now deceased, had her bachelor’s degree from the 1950s.  That is almost unheard of for a Navajo woman from that time.  I have a sister who has a Ph.D. and another who is completing her master’s degree.  My now deceased father also had a degree.  In looking at my family history, I decided that I would follow in my family-of-origin’s footsteps and try to become educated.  Getting an Associate’s degree in nursing is a direct result of the nurses who involved me at the hospital, as well as now the Louise Fleisher Memorial Fund in collaboration with the Americans for Native Americans.  So, I thank you kindly from the bottom of my heart.   --Mary

About the Louise Fleisher Memorial Scholarship

Note: the scholarship is from the Louise Fleisher Memorial Fund in collaboration with the Americans for Native Americans. Louise Fleischer, RN, spent 38 years in the nursing profession in hospital, physician services and geriatric care as a practicing nurse and administrator. Her family honors her dedication to the profession with this scholarship. She was killed in a car accident only a few years ago.

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