The Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund was established through The Research Foundation with a $25,000 donation from Rose Marie McColpin and support from other 1975 classmates.
Rose Marie McColpin’s lifelong devotion to nursing is rooted in a childhood experience that left a lasting impression on her heart. From the moment she was a young girl, Rose Marie dreamed of becoming a nurse. It was an experience at the age of 12 that solidified her calling. She faced a health scare that could have led to leukemia, requiring her to undergo a bone marrow procedure. During that challenging time, the compassion of the nurses who cared for her left a deep mark. “I still remember the nurses holding my hand,” Rose Marie shared. “That was my calling.”
With a career that spanned 43 years, Rose Marie worked tirelessly to embody the same compassion and care that had so profoundly impacted her as a child. Working in the operating room, she always made sure to treat each patient with the same love and respect she would give a family member. Her dedication to her patients was unwavering, even through the most heartbreaking moments.
As a nursing student at Research School of Nursing, Rose Marie faced challenges but never lost sight of her goal. At 23, she was older than many of her classmates, and she had to work harder to keep up. “It didn’t come easy to me,” she said. “I put everything into it, stayed up late nights. Only through many prayers did I accomplish my goal of nursing.” But the struggle paid off, and she graduated with a sense of camaraderie. While she didn’t have the traditional college experience, Rose Marie found friendship with her classmates. She shared study sessions, made lifelong friends, and, to this day, remains close with many from her cohort.
Inspired by her own experiences and her desire to support the future of nursing, Rose Marie established the Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund at The Research Foundation. Her goal is simple: to ensure that the next generation of nurses receives the training and support they need to care for others with the same compassion that shaped her and her classmates’ careers. Through the scholarship, Rose Marie wants students to remember that being a nurse is about more than earning accolades—it’s about being present, being kind, and persevering through challenges. “I want scholarship recipients to remember that the patient comes first.” To her, nursing is not just a profession— it’s a calling to serve others with heart and soul. And with the Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund, she is ensuring that future nurses will have the opportunity to do the same.
