P riscilla Sepulveda is entering Georgia College & State University in the fall. But she wasn’t just selected as a nursing student. She’s was admitted as a Lettie Pate Whitehead Nursing Scholar.

She’ll be a part of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Nursing Scholarship program, which provides a full scholarship including tuition, housing, meals and one study abroad program.

The program targets students from Central Georgia with financial need, so Georgia College can help close the gap of healthcare professionals in rural areas.

This is perfect for the Eatonton, Georgia, native, since Sepulveda has dreamed of becoming a nurse for as long as she can remember. Her mother, Evelin Tirado, said Sepulveda has loved helping others since kindergarten.

“Since I was young, I always liked babysitting—whether it was my little cousins or just daycare,” she said. “I’ve always been attached to kids, and I want to be a postpartum nurse.”

She’s prepared for the rigor of Georgia College’s nursing program, and she has her experience in JROTC to thank for that. The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or JROTC, gives high school cadets leadership training in an effort to build responsible citizens.

During the four years she was in Putnam County High School’s JROTC program, Priscilla reached the rank of captain.
 
“I really fell in love with it, because it teaches you leadership, life and learning skills,” she said. “I helped the cadets fall in line—made sure their uniforms were right and everything they’re doing was right—so at inspection, they didn’t get in trouble.”

For now, Priscilla plans to explore her options at orientation and find what fits—while keeping in mind her studies in Georgia College’s nursing program come first. And, she said she’ll be joining the Leadership Academy.

“I hope my education here will give me a foundation for when I leave,” she said. “It’ll help me in life.”