FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Monica Sciuto (831) 622-2756
Communication and Marketing: (831) 625-4505
Montage Health Foundation receives $1 million gift to support single parents pursuing a nursing degree
The gift established an endowment that will assist local nursing students with tuition, academic supplies, rent, utilities, and household expenses, among other supports.
MONTEREY COUNTY, CA. — Single parents pursuing a nursing degree will soon be eligible to apply for scholarships from Montage Health Foundation’s Ralph Knox Scholarship Endowment Fund, established by a $1 million gift to Montage Health Foundation from the Ralph Knox Foundation.
The fund assists with tuition, academic supplies, rent, utilities, household expenses, and other expenses incurred by full-time nursing students at Monterey Peninsula College’s Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing (MCCSN). Eligible students can apply for grants from the fund starting in 2024 by reaching out to Lynn Kragelund, Director of MCCSN, at lkragelund@mpc.edu.
“Any time you have a person who gives back as much as nurses do, it feels so good to be able to help them continue growing and making a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. We’re helping people who always do everything they can to grow their life and give back to their community,” said Bill Patterson, who was a leader on the Ralph Knox Foundation board of trustees and initiated the gift to Montage Health Foundation.
Patterson is one of three brothers, all raised by a single mother. His mom went back to school at age 55 to become a nurse, planting a seed in Patterson that would grow into his passion for helping single parents pursue an education. He met Ralph Knox through the real estate industry in the 1980s, and years later, Knox told Patterson he wanted to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Together, they established the Ralph Knox Foundation with a focus on helping families in need in local Monterey County communities.
“The Ralph Knox Foundation’s investment in our community will have a profound effect on local nursing students. Debt incurred from going to school can be debilitating, and even more so for single parents. If we can alleviate some of the financial burdens of higher education, that will have an incredible impact on Monterey County nursing students and ultimately the overall health of our local communities,” said Michele Melicia Young, Director, Montage Health Foundation.
The endowment adds to Montage Health Foundation’s repertoire of resources supporting the local healthcare workforce. Philanthropic gifts to the foundation have also provided funding for Montage Health’s Helen Baszucki Center for Nursling Excellence and the Center for Physician Excellence, both of which provide programs and services that help our local healthcare workforce grow and thrive.
To donate to the fund, and for more information about Montage Health Foundation, visit montagehealthfoundation.org.
