Angelina Onishchenko can't wait to join the healthcare front lines. Your support of scholarships helped open the door for Angelina to pursue her dream to become a nurse.

When it comes to caring for others, Angelina has had a lifetime of opportunities. The oldest of seven children, Angelina helped to care for her younger siblings as her parents worked long hours to build a trucking business from the ground up and provide for their large family.

Early on, she set her sights on being the first in her family to earn a college degree and made her education a priority. During her senior year in high school, Angelina volunteered at Tacoma General Hospital. It was there she saw firsthand the important relationship between nurses and patients.

“Seeing all the care that nurses provided patients helped me developed a mindset to help others,” said Angelina, “I took an anatomy class when I was doing Running Start at Green River College, and that is when I knew I wanted to be a nurse.” 

She had the drive, smarts, and compassion to graduate from high school with her nursing prerequisites, now all she needed was an open door to fund her degree at RTC.

"I didn’t know if I would be able to continue in the nursing program if it wasn’t for Foundation scholarships.”

“Because of my parents’ business, I didn’t qualify for financial aid,” said Angelina, “The nursing program at RTC is full-time, which means you can’t work very much. My parents were able to help a little, but I didn’t know if I would be able to continue in the program if it wasn’t for Foundation scholarships.”

Angelina is the recipient of the Steve Hansen Scholarship for Student Leadership in recognition of her advocacy for students as the representative for her nursing cohort. The scholarship is named in honor of former RTC president Steve Hanson and is supported through the Associated Student Government.

Angelina is about to enter a world where her nursing skills are truly critical to saving lives. She has always believed that education is an investment into people’s lives and their future. “It’s the best investment you can ever make,” she said.

Thank you for making the best investment in Angelina's future and students like her. The gift of an education is a gift that keeps giving across generations.