Brittany Mizenko aspires to teach.

Kristina Morton wants to provide the best care possible.

Their shared passion for helping people along with their current pursuit of furthering their nursing education helped them earn the 2022 Esther G. Little Nursing Scholarship from the Gettysburg Hospital Foundation.

The scholarship was established in 2007 by local philanthropist Esther Little. The scholarship supports those pursuing an education in nursing with the intent to serve the local community.

In 2021, Little passed away at age 96, after decades of giving to Gettysburg and surrounding communities.

Like Esther, Brittany and Kristina have demonstrated philanthropic qualities outside of their healthcare roles. Brittany held various roles at local EMS departments and still maintains an EMT certification, while Kristina serves her community as a borough council member and is active in recreation programs.

What sets them apart is the "why" behind chasing careers in healthcare.

For Kristina, a CT technologist at WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital, her inspiration goes back to her mother's cancer care journey.

"When I was a senior in high school, my mother was going through chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer and the staff that supported her care journey at WellSpan York Hospital were incredible," Kristina said. "I wanted to be one of those staff members that helped families get through a tough time and make the difficult times just a little more bearable."

Kristina is currently enrolled in the nursing program at HACC Gettysburg Campus and hopes to eventually obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

She says the scholarship will help her focus more on her studies and afford her schooling.

"This has allowed me to cut back on my part-time job and spend a lot of time and energy on my schoolwork. I feel this will make me a better nurse as I will have a better understanding and foundation of knowledge," Kristina said.  

Meanwhile, Brittany has worn many hats as a clinical nurse including various roles across the Emergency Department at WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital.

In addition to her primary nursing responsibilities, Brittany is a triage nurse, a student mentor, pharmacy/flu champion for the emergency department, and participates in several systemwide shared-decision committees.

"It means a lot to be awarded this scholarship," Brittany said.

Brittany is currently working toward her master's degree in nursing at Wilson College. Her goal is to become a clinical instructor at a local college in addition to being a nurse.  

"I hope to continue to serve members of our great community for many years to come as well as share my knowledge with new nurses at our hospital and students who are learning to become nurses," she said.