This first-time gift to the College reflects the Stielau Foundation’s commitment to giving back to the community through medical education, specifically in nursing.
The Joyce M. and Herbert W. Stielau Foundation’s investment in Notre Dame reflect the values that its founders, Joyce and Herb Stielau, held, “to serve the community that no one else serves,” said Elton Riemer, who, along with James Goldsmith, serve as co-trustees of the Foundation.
The Stielau’s were “catalysts for change through their actions and positive contributions,” Riemer added.
With approximately 98 percent of Notre Dame students receiving some sort of institutional aid, the Foundation’s scholarship grant will help to encourage the already-growing nursing student population at Notre Dame by making quality education and professional development more affordable.
“The multi-year partnership between the Stielau Foundation and the nursing program is invaluable,” said Culeen Carey, the College’s vice president of advancement, “We are so grateful for their belief in the program leadership and our mission.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only highlighted the committed work of nurses around the world but has also driven a 5.6 percent increase in enrollment in bachelor’s master’s and doctoral nursing programs, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Affiliated with premiere healthcare institutions including the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Metro Health Medical Center and the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, the nursing program at Notre Dame helps to develop a professional, healthcare workforce for the community.
Notre Dame and the Stielau Foundation both understand the increasingly “traditional” nursing student is non-traditional. Many Notre Dame nursing students are first-generation college students or have followed atypical paths into nursing—changing professions, returning to school after parenting and breaking the stereotype of who can be a nurse.
The Stielau Foundation grant is a dedicated funding source for nursing scholarships to upper level students.
Notre Dame offers in-person BSN, and online RN-to-BSN, and MSN degrees. For more information about the nursing programs at NDC, please e-mail Interim Nursing Chair Dr. Colleen Sweeney, Ph.D., J.D., MSN, BSN, RN, CNE at csweeney@ndc.edu.
January 2022
Written by Elizabeth Cushwa
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.