Designed to benefit Kankakee County and Riverside Healthcare as well as Olivet
- These scholarships will be available for Olivet’s junior and senior nursing students starting in fall 2025.
- Scholarship recipients agree to work at Riverside in their junior and senior years until graduation and for three years post-graduation.
- Investing in the future of healthcare in Kankakee County is one of the primary goals of these scholarships.
NEWS PROVIDED BY:
Olivet Nazarene University
8/6/25
Two new two-year tuition scholarships are designed to benefit Kankakee County, Riverside Healthcare and Olivet Nazarene University students. These scholarships, funded by a generous donation from Riverside, will be available for Olivet’s junior and senior nursing students starting in fall 2025.
“Riverside is proud to partner with Olivet to invest in students who are pursuing their nursing degree,” said Philip Kambic, president and CEO of Riverside Healthcare. “We believe in continually supporting our employees to help them provide the highest quality of care for our patients. This investment is a natural step in pursuit of our mission, and everyone benefits — Olivet, our employees and our patients.”
Tuition can vary based on other scholarships an Olivet student may have. This scholarship will cover any remaining tuition for the junior and senior years, including full tuition if the recipient has no other scholarships. Recipients agree to work at Riverside in their junior and senior years, minimally, on a temporary relief (TR) basis (two 8-hour shifts monthly) until graduation. In addition, recipients agree to work at Riverside for three years post-graduation.
“This is a lead partnership toward Olivet’s local scholarship goal,” said Susan Wolff, Olivet’s associate vice president for institutional advancement. “Making these connections with our local community is a top priority for the University.”
Olivet is currently partnering with Riverside to provide nursing students with the internships and clinicals they need to complete their degree programs. “This is a long-standing, fruitful relationship that benefits Olivet students greatly and often results in students getting hired for jobs locally,” said Dr. Amber Residori, dean of Olivet’s College of Professional Studies. “Our nursing program leaders and I meet with Riverside’s leadership team, typically on a quarterly basis, to ensure we are maintaining a strong relationship. We also want to gain feedback on how our students are performing in practice and enhance our curriculum, if necessary.”
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Immersion course at Olivet was born out of these meetings. Riverside provided helpful feedback on skills that FNP graduates could enhance. Dr. Suzanne Phipps, professor and director of Olivet’s MSN/FNP program, took that feedback and created an Immersion course. At this two-day, in-person course, FNP students get hands-on practice with live models and return demonstrations to enhance their technical skills.
Riverside Healthcare’s partnership with Olivet’s Biological Sciences Department and Exercise and Sports Science Department is providing a three-tier experience in the realities of healthcare careers for biology majors pursuing pre-med; biology majors interested in other areas of healthcare, such as pharmacy or lab services; and kinesiology majors moving into occupational therapy or physical therapy. This experience includes presentations by Riverside employees, observations and shadowing by Olivet students, internships and more. 
“We want to find more ways for Olivet students to experience a variety of areas within the hospital and get firsthand experiences in their areas of interest,” Dr. Residori said. “We’re investing in Olivet students with the hope that they will remain in Kankakee County or return here after earning advanced degrees.”
To learn more about Olivet’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, or to enroll at Olivet, contact the Olivet Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
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News Contact:
George Wolff
Partner and Creative Director
989 Group
george@989group.com
Photo Credit: Joe Mantarian
