Q&A with Josie Thomas ’27, This Year's NEMNLC Scholarship Recipient
For two consecutive years, UMass Nursing students have been the recipients of this scholarship.
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Junior UMass Nursing student Josie Thomas ’27 has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 New England Minority Nurse Leadership Collaborative (NEMNLC) Scholarship.
According to the NEMNLC website, the scholarship program supports underrepresented nursing students, registered nurses, and nurse leaders in "achieving higher levels of education, professional success, and [enhancing] contributions to the profession of nursing and healthcare." Awardees are selected based on their potential to make a significant impact in nursing through leadership.
This marks the second consecutive year a UMass Nursing student has received this award; fellow junior Shaley Lora-Brito was the 2024 recipient. Both Thomas and Lora-Brito are part of the Seedworks Scholars program at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing.
Get to Know Josie Thomas ’27
Question: What impact will this scholarship have on your nursing career?
Josie Thomas: As an upperclassman nursing student, I am no stranger to the financial burdens that come with pursuing this degree. Every semester brings new expenses, such as tuition, textbooks, equipment, and travel costs for clinicals. I will be using this scholarship to help ease those financial burdens, allowing me to alleviate the stress and focus more fully on my education and clinical experiences.
Q: What inspired you to study nursing?
JT: I come from a family with a strong background in healthcare, so nursing has always been a career I considered. For a long time, I was torn between nursing and becoming a physician. What ultimately inspired me was my sister, who is a nurse. Hearing her stories about the patients she cared for, particularly in long-term care, opened my eyes to the impact nurses have. Many of her patients struggled with loneliness and difficult conditions, and it touched my heart. I knew I wanted to be a source of care and comfort for others. If I end up in long-term care, I hope to create small but meaningful initiatives to bring joy and dignity to my patients’ lives.
Q: What advice would you give to students thinking about studying nursing?
JT: You are meant to be here. Nursing school can be rigorous and overwhelming, but every challenge you overcome shapes you into a stronger, more compassionate nurse. The lessons you learn, both academic and personal, prepare you to be the kind of nurse patients can trust with themselves or their loved ones. Above all, never lose your compassion and kindness; they are just as important as your clinical skills.
Q: What are your future aspirations?
JT: I aspire to build my career in critical care, with a particular interest in the intensive care unit or the operating room. I appreciate how the environment demands quick thinking, precision, and compassion—all qualities I am eager to develop further through clinicals and as I start my career as a nurse.