A family’s legacy of giving is continuing to bless nursing students at Olivet Nazarene University. In 1993 Alden and Nancy Neal and their family established The Ada Neal Scholarship to honor Ada, Alden’s mother. They designated that this scholarship be specifically for nursing students. To date, 78 students have benefitted from receiving this scholarship.
“The Ada Neal Scholarship is an excellent example of generational participation giving,” says Dan Ferris ’69, the major giving strategies consultant for Olivet’s development team. “The next generations’ step is to carry the torch in supporting the scholarship as originally established.”
Ada Neal was a longtime member of the Church of the Nazarene. She raised her five children (three daughters and two sons) in the Nazarene church. Ada always had a fondness and a great respect for the nursing profession.
Alden, one of Ada’s two sons, graduated from Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) and married Nancy, who, much to Ada’s delight, was a nurse. Nancy graduated from the New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing. She also received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Boston University and a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Emory University. Alden and Nancy had two children, Sally and Charles.
When Ada passed away, Alden and Nancy wanted to establish a nursing scholarship to honor Ada. They decided to do this at Olivet because ENC didn’t have a nursing program. And so The Ada Neal Scholarship began with their initial gift.
Alden and his wife, Nancy, have both passed away. To honor them and her grandmother, Sally Neal began giving in 1993 and has continued to fund the Olivet scholarship, faithfully and cheerfully, for the past 32 years. Although she’s not a part of the health care profession and does not have educational ties to Olivet, Sally is committed to seeing the scholarship enrich the lives of Olivet nursing students.
“Nursing offers a wide variety of career opportunities, and I love the fact that nurses are uniquely positioned to care for patients holistically,” Sally says. “Nurses focus on a person’s physical illness and also on their emotional, mental and spiritual needs.”
Since the passing of her parents, Sally is the contact person for this scholarship. She is also providing an example to her two nieces about the importance of giving to help others. Thanks to the investment earnings on this endowed scholarship, the current market value of this fund is 50% higher than the sum of all the donor gifts.
Among the many students who have been blessed by The Ada Neal Scholarship are two of the 2025−2026 recipients: Briana Whalen and Sergio Pena Pacheco.
Briana Whalen, Ada Neal Scholarship Recipient, 2025−2026
“After the pandemic, money became tight for our family, just as I was preparing to attend college,” says Briana, a senior at Olivet. “I also have four younger siblings. I chose to attend Olivet over other schools because of the strong nursing program and the evident influence of Christ on campus.”
In addition to being a nursing student, Briana also works as a certified nursing assistant at Riverside Medical Center. Receiving this financial assistance is reducing her education expenses and allowing her to dedicate more time to her studies.
Briana appreciates the opportunities an Olivet education is giving her.
“I am growing both personally and spiritually at Olivet,” she says. “This is my second year at Olivet. I am gaining the confidence and humility to trust fully in the Lord. I believe that the Lord placed me at Olivet so I could learn to devote myself to Him. Now, I actively look for ways to share the goodness of Jesus with others. At CSL Plasma in Kankakee, where I donate blood, the Lord allowed me to speak with a worker who had never heard of the Bible. That moment made me realize how much work God has done in my heart.”
She is grateful for the generosity of the Neal family in providing this scholarship for her.
“It takes a lot to invest in the future of a student you barely know,” Briana says. “I know that the Lord has called me to nursing, so I hope to glorify Him through my studies and fulfill His calling for my life.”
Sergio Pena Pacheco, Ada Neal Scholarship Recipient, 2025−2026
“I am paying for my college education all on my own without any financial help from my family,” says Sergio, a senior at Olivet. “I work a part-time job off campus and an on-campus job to help cover the cost. With this scholarship, I can work less during the semester and focus more on my studies. A nursing degree program is already challenging, and managing it while working two jobs makes it even harder.”
Sergio’s plan is to graduate from Olivet in May with a BSN degree. He has seen many blessings during his time at the University.
“I have learned how to be responsible for myself while I’ve been at Olivet,” he says. “I am breaking generational cycles I have struggled with in the past. Olivet has provided a safe space for me. This allows me to stay focused on my academics as well as on the relationships and friendships I’ve built over the years. I see my Olivet community as my family.”
Sergio continues to be impressed by the extended Olivet community that wants to help students succeed.
“I wouldn’t be where I am in my college journey if it weren’t for the generous financial help of these donors,” he says. “I am not only earning my degree for myself, but I am earning this degree for the donors who have helped me. I wake up with a smile on my face every day because I know that I am privileged to attend college and get an education that will help me be successful and enable me to give back.”
Learn more about supporting Olivet through an endowment by contacting Walter “Woody” Webb at wwebb@Olivet.edu or 815-939-5228.
From Olivet The Magazine, Abundant Life – Spring 2026. Read the full issue here.
