Whether it was looking after the animals on the farm on which she grew up or now caring for the residents of the nursing home where she works, Viterbo student Maggie Berra has always wanted to help and care for others. It was that desire that led her to study nursing.

“I knew I wanted a career in health care, but for me it had to be working directly with patients,” said Berra, a junior from Genoa.

Scholarships, such as the Margaret and Cornelius (Con) Hammell Nursing Scholarship, are helping her accomplish that goal.

“It truly is an honor to get selected for a scholarship as I know many of them are created to memorialize someone,” Berra said. “I always love reading the backstory of the family or about the person and what they achieved on this earth. Scholarships are a tremendous help financially, and I am grateful to have received these funds that I’m using to prepare myself to be the best nurse and person I can be. There really is no better gift than an amazing education from a great institution like Viterbo.”

Berra chose to attend the university because of the excellent reputation of the nursing major and the BSN direct admission program. The pretty campus, small class sizes, and professors who know her name were added bonuses.

Serving as an RA on campus has given Berra the opportunity to build connections with residents and further develop her communication and problem-solving skills, all things she will put to good use as a nurse. She has also worked at a nursing home since she was a freshman, moving up from CNA to Nurse Technician, which has allowed her to dispense medications and provide wound care. This experience has been extremely helpful in her college nursing classes.

Berra would like to work in a hospital setting after graduation.

“I’m hoping to stay local and work at Emplify or Mayo,” she said.

Explore the Program

Learn more about Viterbo’s nursing program, where hands-on clinical experience and compassionate care training prepare you to make a real difference in the lives of others.