Kelsey Horne

KELSEY HORNE

At the CVCC Foundation, Inc., we are all about equipping students for success. It doesn’t matter your age, your background, or your calling; the community has been generous to us, and we want to be generous to you. For CVCC student Kelsey Horne, scholarships are the gift that keeps on giving.

Kelsey grew up in the world of healthcare. Her mother, who held a fulltime career as a cardiac sonographer, would occasionally bring Kelsey to the hospital so that she could experience a portion of the medical field.

Kelsey shadowed her mother and other sonographers at the hospital. Many staff members remarked that she would make a great member of a healthcare team. It was a bonus that she was fascinated by the study of the human body.

“I love learning the body systems,” she shares. “I’m invested in figuring out more about how the body works and how medication works in our systems.” It was this interest, combined with her gift of empathy, that made Horne a perfect member of a healthcare team.

After high school, she entered a local Medical Assisting program. The degree was worthwhile; she managed to build a ten-year career as a professional medical assistant for healthcare providers and their patients.

During her time at the medical office, she knew several hospital employees (including her mother and certified registered nurse anesthetists) who complimented Kelsey on the care and attention she showed to others. She was repeatedly told that she would make a great nurse. And while she appreciated the encouragement, something about the low-stakes office setting was much more appealing than the stressful setting of a hospital.

“I am very empathetic,” she stated, “and I worried what it would feel like to be surrounded by emotional situations all the time. I know not every story is a sad ending, but you do deal with a bunch of sadness [as a nurse].”

One day, however, she woke up feeling stuck. She had reached a point in medical assisting where she no longer felt challenged; in her words, she had “hit the ceiling.”

No one likes to be limited—financially, academically, or personally. And while Horne loved her time in medical assisting, she realized that she was ready to do more with her healthcare career.

After searching various nursing programs, Kelsey came to CVCC excited for a new start. As a returning adult learner, Kelsey recognized that many of her classmates were much younger than she was. These students were fresh out of high school, better at math and perhaps better with technology. The thought was intimidating, but rather than viewing her differences as a crutch, she took advantage of her studies and found a way to excel in the classroom. She learned that her passions lie in the Intensive & Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU).

However, during the 3.5 years she spent in the program, she faced another significant roadblock—finances. Paying for an associate’s degree can be daunting. Even before Kelsey came to CVCC, she recognized that she had to make some important changes to pay for college. She worried about how to take care of her parents and how to provide for her family while managing a full-time college courseload. “I had to save up finances for years in order to go to school...I started to run low on funds and had to ask people for help—I never ask people for help.”

At one point, Kelsey made the difficult choice to sell her home. She moved into the property owned by her parents and used the funds from the sale to pay for college. In a sense, Kelsey had once again “reached the ceiling” of her financial capabilities. It was time to make a change.

So, with a bit of hope and plenty of ambition, she reached out to the CVCC Foundation.

“I didn’t think I would ever receive a scholarship,” she says, “but then again, at that point in my studies, I had never applied for one.”

After some guidance from Foundation staff, she reviewed the applications and read the descriptions of every scholarship. Once she curated a list of the scholarships that excited her, she poured herself into writing stories about her life, her values, and her goals. “I hoped that it resonated,” she recalls. “And, I thought, ‘What would I lose if I don’t get anything out of it? I’m writing and processing my special story!’”

The semester she submitted her scholarship applications, Kelsey received the Dr. Sanford L. Steelman and Frank & Sue Jones Scholarships. The awards were a surprise. They provided the encouragement she needed to carry her through the 2023-2024 academic year and complete her nursing studies at CVCC.

“I was grateful—I was in shock—really? Me? I never expected to spend the rest of college feeling so free. The scholarships took so much stress off my shoulders. I know people are going through difficulties. Life is rough and hard. As a nurse, I get the privilege of being able to make a difference in those rough and hard times.”

Kelsey’s first goal as she transitions to the IMCU is to strengthen time management skills and boost her endurance. After graduating from CVCC and gaining a few years of professional experience, she plans to work in the ICU and further her education in a CRNA program. “I’ve learned how to process and deal with critical moments,” she says. This ability to remain calm and not panic has allowed her empathy to transform from a weakness to a strength. It takes lengthy training and talent to enter a crisis, perform intervention, and help patients feel comfortable throughout the process.

Kelsey is deeply grateful for the generosity of those who establish scholarships for the CVCC Foundation. Because of gifts such as the Dr. Sanford L. Steelman* and Frank & Sue Jones Scholarships*, students are empowered to chase their calling—to become the confident professionals who can spend their lives saving the lives of others.

*The Dr. Sanford L. Steelman scholarship was established to assist students in Nursing, Biology, Dental Hygiene, EMS, and additional programs within the School of Health Education at CVCC.

The *Frank & Sue Jones scholarship was established by Sue Jones as an award to students who are enrolled in Health Education programs at CVCC.

TOGETHER WE SOAR: FOUNDATION REPORT

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the CVCC Foundation, Inc. is a proud vessel of life-changing education and critical workforce development. Together We SOAR details our current efforts to create bright futures for CVCC students and the Catawba Valley region.