June 16, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 18)
Article by
Michele Coffill
Christina Martinez, left, and Brady O'Brien are pictured at Holland Hospital. They both received scholarships through a partnership with the Kirkhof College of Nursing.
GVSU junior Brady O'Brien found a career before he found a discipline of study.
The Hudsonville native said he enrolled at Grand Valley as a first-year student without declaring a major. It was a job shadow program at Holland Hospital that led O'Brien to consider a career as a nurse. "Nursing combines the science skills I have with my desire to help people," he said.
O'Brien had more than a year's experience as a patient care assistant before he took his first Kirkhof College of Nursing class.
"Working at the hospital has allowed me to learn the basics and build a solid foundation in patient care," he said.
O'Brien and nursing senior Christina Martinez are the first recipients of a Holland Hospital scholarship that provides students with tuition incentives of up to $5,000 per semester for four semesters. After graduating and passing the licensure exam, students commit to working at Holland Hospital for at least two years.
Martinez earned a GVSU bachelor's degree in allied health sciences in 2021, with a minor in Spanish. She, too, started working at Holland Hospital before enrolling in KCON's accelerated second-degree program. After graduating in May and passing the licensure exam, Martinez returned to Holland Hospital to work as a nurse.
"The scholarship has helped a lot," she said. "It relieved a lot of stress and allowed me to focus on my classes and earning a degree."
KCON Dean Linda Lewandowski said: “We are so pleased to partner with Holland Hospital. This scholarship program alleviates financial burdens and provides our students with direct patient care experience that they then take to the classroom. It’s an innovative solution to a national healthcare issue.”
This article was last edited on June 15, 2026 at 1:33 p.m.
Participants spent 10 weeks in an accelerator program offered by the DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, in partnership with GVSU's Northern Michigan Region.
Featured
July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)
Article by
Shannon Owen
The vice president for Enrollment Development and College Futures discusses the successful launch of "The Pathways Project Podcast."
July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)
Messages during the keynote presentations and breakout sessions focused on authentic communication and practical ways to tell the GVSU story.
July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)
Article by
Michele Coffill
