Aagath Shalini Leo, an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner Program student at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, received a scholarship from Westminster—a senior living community in Austin—and the Martha C. Gooding Foundation for Compassionate Nursing to support her pursuit of a career in geriatric and gerontological nursing.
“I feel extremely honored to receive this award,” Leo said. “It reinforces my belief in prioritizing the health needs of the elderly, who have a right to age peacefully without having to worry about their care. This is an honor as it has recognized my contribution towards the care of the older population, and financially, it will help me cover part of my school-related expenses.”
This scholarship is offered to students who have previous experience in geriatric care. Leo’s experience includes working in long-term care facilities.
“I started as a charge nurse and was working as assistant director of nursing in a long-term care facility,” she added. “And I have a special interest in taking care of elderly people who have lived a good life, and when they naturally become dependent on others for care, I feel that they should have an opportunity to age peacefully.”
The Martha C. Gooding Foundation for Compassionate Nursing aims to honor the legacy of UT Austin School of Nursing graduate Martha Gooding, BSN ’73, who dedicated her career to critical care nursing. Established as a non-profit, the Foundation has provided over 50 scholarships in its nine years, supporting students committed to delivering compassionate, patient-centered nursing care.
“I urge nurses to choose geriatric care as a profession,” Leo concluded. “It is extremely rewarding and fulfilling to take care of people who have lived a good long, healthy life and support them when they need some help to take care of themselves and, in that process, help the younger generation to trust our care.”