Ryan Scruggs and Selena DacostaThe University of Alabama at Birmingham Student Nursing Association has received the Outstanding Breakthrough to Nursing Project award for its biannual “Day in the Life” program from the Alabama Association of Nursing Students. UAB SNA president Star Cartrett accepted the award on behalf of the SNA board at the association’s annual convention in Montgomery in October. In addition, Selena Dacosta, vice president of the UAB SNA and fourth-semester bachelor of science in nursing student, was elected to a second term as Breakthrough to Nursing director on the AANS executive board. Dacosta works to develop scholarships for AANS student members who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and give back to their community. Dacosta was also named the state’s Outstanding Board Member.Ryan Scruggs, a fourth-semester BSN student, was awarded a one-time $250 Breakthrough to Nursing scholarship. This scholarship recognizes a student who exemplifies leadership in his or her community. Scruggs was also elected to serve on the AANS state executive board as legislative chair. In this position he will act as the liaison between the AANS, Alabama State Nurses Association and the student constituents.
Ashton Tureaud, a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the UAB School of Nursing, received a one-time $500 scholarship from ASNA District 3. She was one of three selected to receive this scholarship. Tureaud works at the UAB student health clinic as a family nurse practitioner and formerly served as an adjunct professor for the Accelerated Master’s in Nursing Pathway program at the UAB School of Nursing. Tureaud received her master of science in nursing degree in 2012 from the UAB School of Nursing.
UAB SNA adviser Summer Langston, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC, AACC, was named the Leader of Leaders for her outstanding service to the school chapter, the AANS, the ANSA and the National Student Nurses Association. Langston has demonstrated success through increasing membership, implementing community, legislative and Breakthrough to Nursing projects, and promoting attendance at state and national conventions. Langston currently serves as an assistant professor at the UAB School of Nursing. She earned her MSN degree in 2006 and her DNP in 2009 from the UAB School of Nursing.
In all, 11 members of the UAB SNA chapter attended the annual state convention, which provides pre-nursing students with the opportunity to shadow current nursing students and participate in a personalized Q&A panel. The mission of the Alabama Association of Nursing Students is to foster nursing education, facilitate early unity among our future colleagues in nursing, and optimize the nursing student’s exposure to the numerous specialties and pathways in the ever-changing field of nursing.