A Hispanic Linfield student was one of only six in the U.S. to win a competitive scholarship from the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.
Senior Karen Bastian, a student at Linfield’s Good-Samaritan School of Nursing in Portland, received a $1,000 scholarship.
“There’s a minority — there aren’t very many
multi-cultural nurses and there are barriers for many patients,” Bastian said. “Many nurses only speak English, but my family doesn’t even speak English. I want to help the minorities, and I want my patients to be confident.”
The association provides its members with educational and career
opportunities to aspiring Hispanic and Latino nurses.
It also offers numerous scholarships and educational assistance to increase the number of bilingual and multi-cultural nurses nationwide.
“After I was introduced to the scholarship, I filled out an application and had to write a paper about why I wanted to be a nurse in the Hispanic community,” Bastian said.
Bastian first learned about the NAHN and its opportunities through Linfield. She said that NAHN has chapters all across the country and as soon as she discovered the benefits, she joined Oregon’s chapter.
Leticia Hernandez, financial aid and scholarship outreach counselor, worked with Bastian to find the NAHN’s scholarship opportunities.
“This scholarship helps put Linfield on the radar for a nursing school and shows how we care and assist our students,” Hernandez said.
Linfield has been involved in increasing the amount of Hispanic nurses in the workforce over the past few years.
The Office of Multicultural Programs was established in 2004 to offer support to multicultural nursing students.
“We know that Linfield is a private school. This scholarship will assist [Bastian] with her studies and allow her to continue her education here at Linfield,” Hernandez said.

Katie Barger/Staff reporter
Katie Barger can be reached at [email protected].