1939 Graduate Leaves UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing Nearly $900,000 for Scholarship Funds
Photo taken by Karen Meyers. Left to right: Sandy Rader, vice president of Patient Care Services, UPMC Shadyside; Elizabeth Pesci; Edward Pesci; Linda Kmetz, director, UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing; Louise Brown, executive director, Shadyside Hospital Foundation; and Tom Michalek, estate attorney.
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 17, 2009 – UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing has received an endowment of nearly $900,000 from Jane Pesci, R.N., a 1939 graduate of the school. The donation will be used for the establishment of the Ernest and Dirce Pesci and Jane Pesci Scholarships.
“This is the largest donation in our school’s history,” said Linda Kmetz, Ph.D., R.N., director, UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing. “Our goal is to find students who demonstrate a genuine need for financial assistance and who will emulate Ms. Pesci’s appreciative and hard-working character. We will fund at least one student’s tuition each year.”
Ms. Pesci grew up in Blairsville, Pa., and later moved to Pittsburgh to attend UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing. Upon graduating, she joined the Army Nurse Corps where she achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. After retiring from the Army, Ms. Pesci served as a school nurse for Pittsburgh Public Schools for nearly 15 years. She passed away on June 14, 2008.
“The scholarship means a lot to our family because it is a reflection of Jane’s background,” said Edward Pesci, Ms. Pesci’s nephew. “It’s really the classic American success story. As the daughter of two immigrant parents who hardly spoke English, she struggled and worked her way through nursing school, served in the Army Nurse Corps through World War II and eventually rose to lieutenant colonel. Her dedication to the nursing profession and her experience growing up during the Great Depression inspired her to give new nursing students the chance to succeed without the financial and social burdens she endured.”
Since 1884, the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing has been committed to preparing graduates for satisfying careers in the nursing profession. The School’s registered nurse diploma program offers both full- and part-time students the opportunity to develop their skills through a strong clinical curriculum built on a foundation of humanities and behavioral and natural sciences. For more information about UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing, call (412) 623-2950.
For information about making a donation to the Shadyside Hospital Foundation for UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing or UPMC Shadyside, call (412) 623-6600.