Seawolf Opportunity Scholarship Recipient Profile: Laura-Jean Hughes

When Laura-Jean Hughes turned 30, she knew things would change for her. Soon after, she found out she was pregnant. Since Hughes was 19 years old, doctors told her that she couldn't get pregnant, so it was quite a shock when the pregnancy test came back positive. With no intention of going to college, Hughes was faced with making a life-changing decision.

She worked for several years in the medical billing field, but needed to make a change to make more money to support a new baby. A friend in UAA's dental program encouraged Hughes to consider nursing as a career. "My friends see me as a caregiver," said Hughes. "I'm always the one to take care of people, so it made sense for me to pursue nursing."

Born and raised in Anchorage, Hughes knew she wanted to stay in state for school. "I love Alaska and I didn't want to move," said Hughes. "Going to UAA is convenient, and the nursing program is very competitive."

She started taking prerequisites for the nursing program in Fall 2005 and was accepted into the bachelor's program in Fall 2009. While waiting to get into the program, Hughes earned two minors: gerontology and nutrition.

"Health is very important to me," said Hughes, who's currently enrolled in an elective Kung Fu class. "I want to be a nurse that leads by example, you know, practice what you preach."

"Part of the reason I chose nursing is because there are so many options," said Hughes. Although she's currently undecided about her specialty, she'd like to work in a hospital in various capacities until she finds her niche. "I'd like to do just about everything except oncology and NICU. I think when I start my clinicals, it'll help me narrow my focus. Ultimately, I'll go where I'm needed the most."

Hughes found out about the Seawolf Opportunity Scholarship after reading about the $7M anonymous gift to UAA and hearing a podcast of Chancellor Fran Ulmer announcing the gift at an on-campus event. She thought to herself, "That would be awesome." Hughes consulted with her nursing advisor Marie Sampson, who encouraged her to apply for the scholarship.

"It's important for me to get as many outside funds as possible. It's difficult to continue working while going through this program, and my family will remain my priority." The scholarship helps with childcare expenses, which "is a huge help." It also provides $500 per semester for books. "I will never forget the number $777.75 - that's the amount I paid for books last semester, that's not including supplies." The scholarship also covers a significant portion of her tuition. "Those are credits that I don't have to pay for, or take loans out for."

Hughes' daughter Fallon, now five, understands that her mom is going to college so they can do better things later. "Going to school is a priority for me, and so is my daughter. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for her. My education will allow me to provide for her and create a better future for us."

The Seawolf Opportunity Scholarship is the result of the generous anonymous $7M gift that UAA received in the spring of 2009. Conditions of the gift stated that the majority of the money was to be used for student scholarships, particularly benefiting women and minorities. The $6M designated for scholarships enabled UAA to establish an endowment to provide needs-based scholarships to students.

This new needs-based scholarship will be awarded incrementally, up to four years, for students working toward an associate's or baccalaureate degree from UAA. This special feature is designed to provide an incentive and reward to students who persist in their studies toward a degree. Recipients of the Seawolf Opportunity Scholarship will receive money for tuition and housing or childcare each year -- all very important for student success.

This donation has already had a significant impact on the lives of UAA's students; 50 students have been awarded this special scholarship for the 2009-10 academic year. Here's the story of one of our outstanding scholarship recipients.