College of Health Professions Bestows Scholarship, Awards

Ceremony honors recipients, comprising graduate students, faculty and community partners

Sacred Heart University’s College of Health Professions (CHP) hosted its first scholarships and awards ceremony Sept. 1. The college plans to conduct the ceremony annually.

The CHP bestowed three scholarships, one alumni leadership award, three community partner awards and four clinical preceptor (instructor) awards, as follows:

• The Lauren Foster-Petisce Memorial Endowed Scholarship is newly created by the family of alumna Lauren Foster Petisce, in her honor. This scholarship awards $10,000 to an incoming female graduate student enrolled in the doctor of physical therapy program. Applicants who studied at Sacred Heart for their undergraduate degrees receive priority, even more so if they played a Division I sport. Cailee Mathewson, of Pawcatuck, is the first recipient.
• The Lori Bigelow Scholarship honors Lori S. Bigelow, former co-president of Bigelow Tea Company. This scholarship awards $20,000 per year for the two-year program. It goes to an incoming graduate student who is or identifies as female and is enrolled full-time in the master of science program in exercise and sport science for the fall 2021 semester. This year’s recipient is Katelyn White of Belchertown, MA.
• The  Patricia W. Walker and Attorney Ellen A. Morgan Endowed Scholarship was created in 2018 by Patricia Walker and Ellen Morgan. This scholarship awards $500 to an undergraduate or graduate minority student who is a full time student in the CHP, Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing or the School of Social Work, and a graduate of a Connecticut high school. The recipient of this scholarship is Kristi Pena ’21, a health sciences student who is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy in the CHP.
• The Alumni Leadership Award recognizes an alumnus of a department within the CHP. To be eligible, one must continue to give back to the University, have distinction within a profession and contribute to the college’s mission. This year’s award went to Jaimee Hegge.
• The Community Partner Award can honor three individuals annually. The award is granted to individuals or corporations that have demonstrated exceptional collaboration to further the CHP’s education goals and mission. The 2021 recipients are Paul Bauer, of Physical Therapy Specialists in Guilford; Elizabeth Torres, manager at the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery in Bridgeport; and Mayra Chaisson, director of Griffin Health Services, Derby.
• The Clinical Preceptor Award is designed to recognize clinical instructors who demonstrate extraordinary leadership skills and excellence in clinical practice, in addition to contributing to the college’s mission. This year, the recipients are Louis Elmo, occupational therapist at Bridgeport Hospital and adjunct professor at SHU; Wendy Wilson-Russell, director of related services and special programs at Cooperative Education Services in Trumbull; and co-owners, Brian Elmo and Hope Bove, of Total Body Physical Therapy in Norwalk.

“We are humbled and honored to be able to award three new scholarships to students in the College of Health Professions, acknowledging these extraordinary women,” said Maura Iversen, dean of the CHP. “We are also grateful that we can recognize our community partners, clinical instructors and alumni who are integral in the success of our programs and our students. Their steadfast commitment to student learning and to SHU, together with their exceptional mentorship, help our students understand and appreciate the value of community service as they hone their clinical skills.”

To view photos from the event, visit the CHP Scholarship & Awards Ceremony 9/1/21 gallery page.