Five employees from St. Mary’s Health Care System have been awarded the 2025 Marilyn Brown Nursing Scholarship, each receiving $2,500 to support their nursing education. The scholarships are available to current nurses advancing their careers and staff members studying to become nurses.
The Marilyn Brown Nursing Scholarship was established by Marilyn Brown, a former patient who created the fund after being inspired by the care she received at St. Mary’s. Brown hopes her initiative will encourage other grateful patients to support nursing education at the hospital.
“We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Brown for her generosity and commitment to advancing high-level care and higher-level caring at St. Mary’s,” said Anneliese Woodall, Manager of Donor Relations for St. Mary’s Health Care System. “Her ongoing contributions to our ministry reflect how much difference our nurses make in our patients’ outcomes and experiences. We are honored to be able to help her realize her goal of building the next generation of skilled, compassionate nurses at St. Mary’s.”
This year’s recipients include Caroline Walters of Comer, Georgia, an Intensive Care Nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens who is pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing from Middle Georgia University with plans to become an Adult Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP). In her application, Walters wrote: “I believe my experience as an ICU nurse, combined with this degree, will position me to make a lasting, positive impact on both patient care and the future of our organization. Once I graduate, my hope is to return to St. Mary’s to continue serving the people in our community with compassion and dedication.”
Katherine “Mckenzie” Filaski from Winder is working toward a Master of Nursing Education from Western Governors University while also serving as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens. She stated: “I believe you must have a deep love for caring for people to develop a deep passion for nursing. I’ve found a great community of caring individuals amongst everyone I’ve met while working at St. Mary’s. I hope to continue to give back to the community that’s supported me by serving as a resource for guidance and excellence to my peers.”
Macy Parker of Toccoa works as a Patient Care Technician at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital and is enrolled at Piedmont University seeking her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with an expected graduation date in May 2027. In her personal statement, Parker shared: “Working for St. Mary’s has further solidified my belief that every individual deserves the best care possible in any given situation. I hope to use everything I’ve learned as a Tech and apply it to being an amazing nurse, like so many I have worked with here.”
Natalie Moody from Milledgeville is employed as a Patient Care Technician at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro and is currently enrolled in nursing school with plans first for LPN certification before becoming an RN.
William Shirley of Athens has been part of St. Mary’s since 2018 as a Monitor Technician in the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit and is now enrolled in Athens Technical College’s nursing program aiming for an Associate Degree in Nursing before pursuing further degrees including BSN and MBA.
The application period for next year’s Marilyn Brown Nursing Scholarships will open on July 1, 2026.
