The New York State Women Inc. Chadwick Bay Chapter is pleased to announce this year’s scholarship winners. Monica McNair and Lauren Bills submitted their applications to the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation. They both are highly motivated women.

McNair is employed at Chautauqua Nursing and Rehab Center. She has been working there for 17 years as a CNA and LPN and is currently attending Jamestown Community College to become a registered nurse. She not only takes classes but works two jobs and has a heavy family obligation with the raising of six children. She treats her patients with respect, and she cares about their quality of life.

Bills attends D’Youville College and works at Kenmore Mercy as a nurse’s assistant. She is extremely committed to being self-sufficient and dedicated to her goal of being a registered nurse. Since her freshman year of high school, Lauren started volunteering at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.

Since the start in 2019, Bills has been able to gain experience on multiple floors throughout the hospital. This has been a very rewarding experience and has allowed her to experience different areas of health care. She also recently accepted a position at Kenmore Mercy Hospital in Buffalo to start working as a nurse’s assistant.

She is starting the process of clinicals. In the fall once she starts clinicals, she will be able to get a new perspective on nursing. In this role as a student nurse, she will be able to care for patients directly. Although a hospital setting is where Bills ultimately wants to work, gaining experience in all settings will help her to better care for patients.