Ashley Schaap

As a senior majoring in nursing and minoring in Spanish, Ashley Schaap knows what it’s like to be busy. She transferred to Grand Valley State University her sophomore year looking for a more professional and challenging atmosphere. “I wanted to feel like my teachers and university were invested in my education, and I wasn’t finding that before I came here,” said Schaap.

Because Schaap received the Student Legacy Scholarship, she was able to offset some of the costs of college that she pays out-of-pocket. “Because I didn’t have to worry about money as much, I was able to volunteer at Holland Hospital’s surgical unit and gain crucial experience. I was offered a job even though it was competitive, and this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been volunteering and hadn’t come to Grand Valley.”

Schaap plans to attend graduate school in Michigan to become a nurse anesthetist, and would someday like to work in the neonatal unit of the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “I wasn’t thinking of doing any of this before coming to Grand Valley. Once I’m on my feet and working, I can definitely see myself giving back to GVSU to help students like myself because this Student Legacy Scholarship was so important to my success.”