Catherine R. Gussman Endowed Nursing Scholarship

Established by William and Susan Gussman, this scholarship honors Bill’s mother, Catherine R. Gussman. Catherine Gussman sought a career in nursing, and after graduating from Simmons College in Boston, Mass., she began working at the Boston Children’s Hospital. Taking a short vacation to visit her boyfriend in New Orleans, she traveled by bus. Along the route, the bus came upon a car accident in rural Louisiana. Catherine rushed to help the injured passengers. Another bus passenger, an Eagle Scout and recent Columbia Engineering School graduate, also pitched in to help. Thus began an acquaintance that developed into a long relationship with her future husband, Lawrence, an accidental meeting that lasted over 50 years. By establishing this scholarship fund, the family wishes to honor Catherine’s work and to encourage others to dedicate themselves to the nursing profession, especially in underserved areas of this country and around the world. The scholarship funds may be used to offset the costs of tuition, fees, room, and board during the planned two-year period of upper-division nursing course enrollment at the College of Coastal Georgia. The scholarship is awarded upon acceptance and enrollment into the College’s BSN program.

CRITERIA

• Completed their general core curriculum requirements
• Accepted into the Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing Program;
• Must plan to pursue a nursing career in pediatrics
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 or greater
• Must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester.