Bene Foundation Scholarships Awarded to Three Seniors
The world has three more angels in training. The Kimberly Bene Foundation presented Huntington High School seniors Fabricio Vasquez, Bianca Rofield and Kaila Harlan with nursing scholarships at last week’s senior academic awards night.
Ms. Bene, who graduated from Huntington in 1994, lived with cystic fibrosis for 27 years. She enjoyed many of her happiest days as an active and highly spirited high school student.
Helping to carry Ms. Bene and her family through many crises were a set of skilled and sensitive nurses. So inspiring was this group of health professionals that the family created a foundation in Ms. Bene’s name to provide nursing scholarships to the next generation of “angels.”
“Nurses were an integral part of my daughter’s life,” said Christine Bene, who was on hand to present the three awards totaling $5,000. “They are angels who help the sick and aging. They are the ones who walk you through the most difficult times of your life. They must be caring and courageous.”
Mr. Vasquez will be attending SUNY College at Farmingdale. “When I started high school I made a commitment to succeed and become a professional, something I always wanted to be,” he said. “I have always wanted to become a nurse and help the community.”
Ms. Rofield, who will begin the highly acclaimed nursing program at Suffolk Community College in the fall, studied nursing at BOCES Wilson Tech during high school. She has also spent time in four local nursing homes, helping and caring for the elderly. “Being able to go through these experiences has only instilled in me more as to why I have to be a nurse,” she said.
Ms. Harlan, who will attend York College in Pennsylvania, was convinced a nursing career was for her following a student-internship at Huntington Hospital. “The internship was a great opportunity to see what working as a nurse in a hospital is really like,” she said.
At Huntington High School, Ms. Bene was chosen as one of the first Natural Helpers, a group of students selected by classmates and trained to provide effective intervention with others who seek out help in solving their problems.
Each year as the Bene family sifts through the scholarship applications they reflect on the qualities Kimberly displayed over the course of her life. “The recipients must emulate her ideals,” Christine Bene said. “She approached life with a positive attitude and accepted everyday as a gift. Her enthusiasm was contagious. She realized that listening is the greatest advice and her motto was to help others. She always had a smile on her face and never forgot that the best medicine is laughter.”
The three award recipients are well-regarded by high school faculty members, who readily agree the Bene Foundation matched the scholarship’s criteria perfectly with these exceptional teenagers.
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