Passionate Nursing Students Receive Scholarships and Pursue Dreams
We are excited to share with you the inspiring stories of dedicated and passionate nurses and nursing students whose commitment to patient care is made possible by generous donations to El Camino Health Foundation in support of nursing scholarships and the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary.
First, meet Brian Barbaro and Jordan Servito, just two of this year’s inspiring scholarship winners. Every spring, El Camino Health Foundation and the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary award scholarships to students pursuing a degree in a healthcare profession. The Foundation draws from three endowed funds: the Norma Melchor Nursing Scholarship Endowment, the Kristen Hansen Memorial Endowment, and the Arlene Reeves Memorial Scholarship for the Enhancement of Geriatric Care. This year the two organizations awarded $69,500 in scholarships to 11 students.
Brian Barbaro
Melchor Nursing Scholarship
After surviving a life-threatening motorcycle accident caused by a drunk driver in 2021, Brian Barbaro emerged from months of recovery and over a year of physical therapy with a renewed sense of purpose: to become a nurse. Inspired by the compassion and skill of the medical team that cared for him, Brian eventually secured a position working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in the hospital float pool, serving as one of many part-time professionals who helps prevent staffing shortages and preserve care continuity at El Camino Health. He brings a flexible, team-oriented approach to patient care and is driven by a goal to one day join the Rapid Response Team at El Camino Health.
Brian was recently accepted into the highly competitive Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program at Samuel Merritt University—a rigorous 12-month program that condenses three years of clinicals and coursework into one intensive year. With a tuition cost of more than $95,000 and a demanding full-time schedule, Brian will have limited ability to work while in the program. This makes covering everyday expenses—such as a monthly car payment, food, and basic living costs—especially difficult.
A nursing scholarship not only eases his financial burden, but helps him stay focused on his calling to care for others with the same compassion that once helped save his life.
Jordan Servito
Kirsten Hansen Memorial Scholarship Melchor Nursing Scholarhip
Jordan Servito’s commitment to nursing was born at an El Camino Health Hospital, where his experience working in the emergency department inspired a dramatic career shift. Originally on the path to becoming a firefighter, Jordan discovered that his true passion lies in nursing—caring for others, responding to critical needs, and supporting his local community in its most vulnerable moments. Now pursuing a nursing degree through the concurrent enrollment program at Evergreen College and San Jose State University, Jordan’s ultimate goal is to become a nurse in El Camino Health’s emergency department in Mountain View, the hospital and community that shaped his journey.
Determined to grow within the profession, Jordan plans to earn advanced certifications for emergency and critical care, and climb the clinical ladder to become a mentor and leader for future nurses. He views success in nursing as a blend of passion, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the ability to communicate and perform under pressure. The economic reality for frontline healthcare workers in the Bay Area remains challenging, with high living costs and fluctuating job markets adding stress to an already demanding profession. Jordan and his wife have worked hard to stay afloat during a financially challenging time post COVID, relying on student loans and limited income to get by. For passionate and dedicated individuals like Jordan to enter—and remain in—the nursing field, financial support is not only helpful, it’s essential. Scholarships ease this burden, allowing Jordan to focus on completing his education and building a long-term, purpose-driven career at El Camino Health—serving the hospital and neighborhood he is proud to call home.
We are also proud to celebrate four outstanding past nursing scholarship recipients—Jefferey Harvie, Minh Nguyen, Tam Tran, and Nicole Nogavich—who have come full circle and officially joined El Camino Health this spring as full-time Clinical Nurse IIs. Each is taking part in our highly regarded New Graduate Nurse Residency Program, which was launched with the support of El Camino Health Foundation. Their individual journeys to this moment are powerful reminders of the impact El Camino Health has not only on patients but also on the professionals who choose to build their careers here. Each of these individuals brings unique experience, deep dedication, and a strong sense of purpose rooted in the very hallways where they now serve as nurses.
For many, this milestone is years in the making. Minh Nguyen began as a volunteer with the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary before becoming a CNA and now a full-time registered nurse on the medical-surgical oncology floor. Tam Tran also started as a volunteer, later serving as a patient observer before stepping into her dream role as a nurse on 2C.
Nicole Nogavich, now a nurse on the Cardiac Telemetry Unit, calls El Camino Health her second home—both of her parents have worked here for over 15 years. And Jefferey Harvie, now serving on the Tele-Stroke Unit, is proudly following in the footsteps of his mother, a long time operating room nurse on 2B.
These new nurses are not just joining a hospital—they’re joining a legacy of care, community, and family. This legacy is possible due to the commitment of donors like you who generously support financial aid for the nurses who are so vital for the care and safety of every El Camino Health patient. You can support student nurses by making a designated gift to the El Camino Health Foundation in support of nursing scholarships.
Published: July 2025
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