When the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped everyday life, it also sparked a new direction or Giselle Vasquez.
She grew an appreciation for medical staff, which ultimately inspired her to return to school and pursue a career in nursing.
Now a student at Lane Community College (LCC), Vasquez is one of 21 recipients in the 2024 SELCO Scholarship class. Receiving the scholarship, she said, was a source of encouragement and reassurance that returning to school was the right choice.
“I was so grateful and relieved,” Vasquez said after learning about her SELCO Scholarship. “Like, it was such a good way to start off the school year because I was kind of anxious about how I was going to pay for books and tuition, and I just felt so much relief.”
Vasquez has been quick to adjust, immersing herself in LCC’s competitive and highly respected nursing program. Her first year has been filled with learning opportunities, challenges, and hands-on experiences that drew her to the medical field in the first place.
She has wasted no time diving into subjects like pathophysiology—the study of how and why the body’s processes change during illness or injury—and pharmacology, which focuses on how medications affect the body. These topics have deepened her understanding of what it means to provide thoughtful, informed care to patients.
What excites Vasquez most is the variety in her education. One week she might be in a hospital environment, observing patient care in real time; the next, she’s in a lab setting, practicing clinical techniques or preparing for new skills she and her classmates will be expected to master for the coming week’s curriculum.
Despite everything she has already experienced in nursing school, her journey is just beginning. With her determination and the community’s support, she’s on her way to becoming a nurse in Oregon after she finishes her program at LCC.
Oregon, like many states, faces a growing demand for healthcare professionals. According to the Oregon Center for Nursing, the state is projected to need approximately over 11,000 new registered nurses by 2028.
In recent years, LCC’s nursing program has contributed to that pipeline, fulfilling nursing jobs in the state by graduating, on average, over 100 nurses per year, all whom like Vasquez, play an essential role in addressing this consistent need for more healthcare workers.
We are looking forward to hearing about Giselle’s accomplishments in the years to come and congratulate her on the progress she’s made thus far at LCC.
SELCO is proud to support students like Giselle Vasquez, who are navigating life’s changes with resilience, purpose, and drive. Whether a student is graduating high school, continuing college, returning to school, or pursuing a new trade—our scholarship program is designed to support them where they’re at in their educational journey.
Published March 7, 2025
