On Friday, June 16, 2017, the Northern Area Health Education Center (NAHEC) held their Annual Meeting at the Genesee Grande Hotel in Syracuse. The Bruce C. Potter Memorial Scholarship was presented at this meeting to Anola Stage. Anola is in her third year of Medical School at SUNY Upstate. Anola grew up in Clayton, NY, and attended Thousand Islands High School.
When Anola was 2 years old, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. “She was given 6 months to a year to live, but with the help and support of many medical teams, she lived for 9 years,” Anola says. “Because of the work of these medical professionals, I have memories of my mother.” These experiences at a young age fueled her interest to enter the medical field and has also allowed her to give back to her community.
The Bruce C. Potter Memorial Scholarship was established in 2011 in memory long-time Canton-Potsdam Hospital Administrator and Northern Area Health Education Center, Inc. (NAHEC) Board Chair and founding member, Bruce C. Potter. The scholarship is a competitive annual award for high school seniors, college students, or non-traditional learners in good standing who have completed one or more NAHEC programs, and have been accepted and will be entering a healthcare training program within the next semester cycle. Applicants must be residents of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, or Essex counties. Selection criteria include: academic achievement, community engagement, career plan, character, and personal statement. The Bruce C. Potter Memorial Scholarship recipient shall be provided a monetary award determined by the NAHEC Board of Directors based on funding availability.