2022 Scholarship Winners

Abigail Bates

At age 16, Abigail Bates of Hanson suffered the tragic loss of her younger brother by suicide. With counseling and time away from school to heal, Abigail completed her high school education and graduated with her class in 2017. Abby began working as a daycare teacher, but also began researching nursing.  Upon completion of a CNA program, Abby began work at a long-term care facility just before COVID spread through it.  In her words, “It was devastating. I had become so close to so many of our residents and to be with them in their last moments is something I will hold with me the rest of my life.”  In 2021, she began working at South Shore Health and is set to attend Laboure College’s ASN program this fall.  Abby’s goal is to become a pediatric nurse with a specialty in behavioral health and has a desire to change the stigma surrounding it.

Toriee Buccheri

At a young age, Toriee Buccheri knew that she wanted to help people. She thought about becoming a teacher, but was also drawn to nursing. She began working in the Critical Care Unit as a nursing assistant in May of 2020 during the height of the pandemic. This is when she realized nursing was indeed her calling. So, she enrolled in the Associate in Science nursing program at Laboure College. Toriee has seen first hand how each role in the health care system makes a difference in each patient’s treatment and recovery and enjoys being part of the team. She transitioned to the Birthing Unit in November of 2021 to get a new perspective and learn some new skills. It is her goal to be a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “I have seen our health care system deal with the pandemic and I am so proud to be a part of the team”, she stated.

Ella Cullen

The career path that Ella Cullen followed has always been driven by a desire to help. With a goal to become medically qualified to aid in natural disasters, Ella attended Columbia University’s accelerated nursing program to obtain her BSN.  Afterwards, she began her career as a labor and delivery nurse in a Bronx community hospital - a multi-lingual, multi-cultural experience where the staff teamwork example helped shape her nursing practice and philosophy.  Ella went to Haiti when it was hit by an earthquake in 2010 as a volunteer staff RN in charge of day-to-day operations for three months. She moved on to Doctors Without Borders, spending the next three years (mainly) in Africa. Ella saw firsthand how health inequity impacted so many lives across the globe and that experience changed her as a person. 

In 2015, Ella began her journey with South Shore Health as a nurse case manager for Hospice of the South Shore. After five years, she transferred to the transitional care team where she guides individuals who are in the Advanced Illness Program. Ella will pursue a Master of Nursing in hospice and palliative care at Central Connecticut State University and hopes to bring her “enhanced knowledge back to South Shore Health to help expand and grow our current program.”

Allison Daley

Allison Daley was ecstatic to be hired in 2018 at South Shore Health as the Unit Coordinator in the NICU.  After a move to maternity she is transitioning to a nurse’s assistant.  Liz DiPasquale, Operations Manager of the Parent-Child Division, has the highest praise for Ally’s work ethic as “an innovative self-starter” and “an extraordinary employee, vital team member and invaluable asset” who is always “going above and beyond.” Citing her time here and the role models she has encountered, Ally “trulyloves working for South Shore Health and would love to work here forever.”  Ally is enrolled in a respiratory therapist program at Massasoit this semester and once she graduates, we sure hope she does work here forever! Ally is a resident of Abington.

Destiny Dube

When Destiny Dube’s brother had a stroke at age 26, she was so impressed with the nurses who cared for him, it set her on the path to find her place in the healthcare field. Destiny has been an LPN in family medicine at South Shore Medical Center for five years where she works with patients of all ages. She does patient assessments, vaccines, blood pressures and phone triage.  Destiny begins the RN program at Laboure College this year and would like to eventually achieve a BSN.  She has a 2-year old and a 13-year old at home for whom she hopes to provide a secure future and be a good role model.  Left alone as a 16-year old, Destiny has made her way thus far through perseverance and hard work.  She also realizes that she may want to specialize in one area of healthcare some day but for now Destiny says she is eager to continue to expand her knowledge.

Melissa Hogan

Melissa Hogan did NOT always dream of becoming a nurse. She began her career as a certified occupational therapist in 1994 and returned to school to be better able to treat her P/T patients. After receiving a diploma in nursing she began working as an RN on South Shore Hospital’s Medical-Surgical Telemetry floor in 2003.

Melissa says that her colleagues are like family and believes that their close relationship elevates their effectiveness to work as a team.  Earning her BSN from Laboure College this year, Melissa states, “The piece of paper you get is not what makes you a great nurse. Nursing is about compassion, knowledge, experience, and respect. I am truly blessed to be working with so many skilled people who make up my work family.”  Melissa is from Weymouth.

Alyssa Johnson

Alyssa Johnson always wanted to be a nurse but, as someone who struggled in a school environment, she didn’t think it was possible. Now in the new grad RN program, Alyssa is “so thankful to be part of the SSH nursing staff on Emerson 4” and is working toward her BSN nursing program at Laboure College. She has even made the dean’s list every semester!

Alyssa began working as a transporter in South Shore Health’s Patient Transport department in 2016. Then moving into the role of dispatch attendant, Alyssa became familiar with every department at the Hospitaland has met many of the employees.  “I was able to see such great support systems in each department and knew I wanted to remain a part of that.  Alyssa is a resident of Abington.

Olivia Jones

Olivia Jones has always been a creative person. “It is not just about what I can make, it’s how I can make it,” she states. It’s her drive for creativity that has drawn her to biomedical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her dream is to

create medical devices that will help patients and advance treatments in the medical field. This comes from her desire to make life easier for people like her childhood best friend who suffers from Type 1 diabetes. Olivia’s goal is to come up with tools that really make a difference and improve the lives of patients and their families. “I am looking forward to the project based learning curriculum at WPI, I think the hands-on work suits my style of learning” she said.

Diane Logan

A resident of Halifax, Diane Logan is currently the clinical flow coordinator in the Emergency Department at South Shore Health, but she began her career here 19 years ago and has seen many changes. With three classes remaining to achieve her master’s degree in healthcare management at Fitchburg State University, Diane has a clear understanding of the clinical decisions faced by healthcare organizations and is already applying her gained business knowledge here at work. She helped her department reach their financial budget and initiated long-term, cost-effective changes. Diane also looks forward to strategizing with her team to mitigate staff turnover which has become a challenge over the past few years. Diane is “proud to call this organization home,” and believes that “South Shore Health is invested in the community it serves.”

Samantha Murphy

Samantha Murphy’s experiences as a bible study camp counselor, then as a student intern at a dance academy, and more recently, as a HAP Mentor and tutor at Boston Public Library, have reinforced her certainty to work in a profession that would feed her passion for working  with people. Many fields fit the criteria, but she got a glimpse into healthcare when she participated in a Boston Medical Center virtual  program that provided a platform for nurses from varied specialties to talk about their professional lives. She is now enrolled in the BSN program at Saint Anselm College and “cannot wait” to start a career where she can have such an important impact on people’s lives. Samantha hails from Dorchester.

Ryan Patrylak

A longtime interest in scuba diving and oceanography, and employment at the Diver’s Alert Network in Scotland led Ryan Patrylak to his position as a hyperbaric technician at South Shore Health for the past five years.  For the uninitiated, hyperbaric chambers are used to treat diving injuries but are also used in the treatment of difficult wounds.

As a senior at Massasoit Community College, Ryan is pursuing a degree in respiratory care with hopes to graduate in May 2023 and continue working in the fields of hyperbaric medicine and respiratory care at South Shore Health.  Ryan is a resident of Braintree

Naomi Pollara

Naomi Pollara began her path in the field of nursing in 2005, but her tenure as an RN at South Shore Health began in 2008. Eight years later, she began working in the CCU, during which time she completed a 69-credit critical care education course and began her first year at Fischer College to pursue a BSN – all while caring for her two children and volunteering in her hometown of Halifax. In a theme found among many nurses here, Naomi says, “South Shore Health is more than a place of employment for me.  It is where I have learned the art of nursing from my work family.” Taking on the role of preceptor and mentor, her manager, Nancy Ahearn, sees Naomi as “a phenomenal nurse and a true leader.”  Graduating in 2023 with an MSN in nursing education from Framingham State University affirms her passion for teaching, mentoring, and learning.

Lucy Quill

Lucy Quill of Weymouth began volunteering at Dwyer Nursing Home in Weymouth in 8th grade and found that she loved caring for the elderly population. Taking the time to learn their life stories, their likes and dislikes and fears while helping them maintain their dignity, Lucy “realizes how lucky I am to be in such a humbling position.”

Dwyer Home Director of Admissions Diana Guarino has high praise for Lucy as “her energetic personality and passion for the job gained her multiple positions in admissions, therapy and activities.”  Lucy not only weathered working in a challenging environment through the pandemic, she grew in her conviction to follow this path as a freshman at St. Anselm College.

Haley Smith

Haley Smith of Duxbury believes she was born to be a nurse, explaining that until she began employment at a nursing home, she could not find purpose or fulfillment. Changing her whole outlook on life, Haley says that she did not choose nursing, it chose her!

She currently works as a per diem CNA at South Shore Health, as a CNA part time at a nursing home and privately as a home health aid AND is an honor student in the nursing program at Quincy College. In her own words, “My whole life revolves around nursing and I love every single second of it. It’s my life passion and goal to help others.”

Megan Treanor

Megan Treanor of Weymouth grew up in Ireland where high school teachers told her she would never go to college because her grades were not good enough.  Moving to the U.S. alone at 18 years old, Megan did not plan to further her education until taking an American Red Cross nursing assistant course that started her on the path to realizing her love for helping people.  

Currently enrolled in the associate of nursing program at Laboure College with plans to achieve her BSN, Megan works full time in the birthing unit at South Shore Health and has a baby at home -- a shining example of persevering to achieve whatever your goals may be.  

Morgan Wahlstrom

From a very early age, Morgan Wahlstrom of Rockland has been well aware of The Friends mission to support South Shore Health. Morgan was a 1 lb. 15 oz. premie and her mother Barbara was part of a grateful group of like-minded moms of NICU babies who received care at SSH.  They started the annual Stroller Stroll to raise funds for the NICU back in 2002 which was the beginning of Morgan’s association with The Friends – volunteering at countless events and in the office.  With a realization of the importance of their work and her own reliance on them as a baby, it was a natural progression for Morgan to pursue a nursing career.  Attending UMass Dartmouth, Covid set clinicals back, making graduation a year later than planned, but Morgan believes this extra time has been very beneficial.