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Greetings, Jackrabbit nurses!

Transitions are always a great time to reflect on all that we have accomplished over the past year, including bringing our entire Rapid City team under one roof with our Black Hills State University partners, renovating new space at the ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ Metro Center in Sioux Falls, increasing nursing research and scholarly activities, and implementing a new competency-based curriculum across our undergraduate and graduate programs.

Indeed, we have a lot to celebrate, and much of this celebration can be credited to the efforts of our alumni and friends.

One of the best parts of my role is traveling around the country and meeting incredible friends of the college who, in true Jackrabbits fashion, embrace the premier vision of the College of Nursing. Collectively, these alumni and friends have provided opportunities to the college, including scholarships, endowments, program enhancements, equipment and state-of-the-art learning spaces that benefit students greatly and help us to meet the nursing workforce and research needs of the state, region and world.

I could tell many stories about the impact of donors on the college because each of the generous gifts we have received has provided tremendous opportunities. Today, I will highlight the impacts of a group of donors who understand the importance of a robust rural health care workforce.

These individuals have collectively provided funding that allows us to provide excellent rural health experiences to students across the continuum of care. The ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ College of Nursing is committed to meeting the rural nursing workforce needs head-on through intentional programming and mentorship.

Many of our students at all sites (Brookings, Rapid City and Sioux Falls) benefit greatly from being embedded in rural communities for clinical experiences. Thanks to visionary donors, we will be able continue these opportunities for years to come, ensuring a sustainable path for rural workforce development.

I am grateful to each of the friends of the college for taking this journey with us and helping us to be a premier College of Nursing. Please stop in next time you are in the area … we would love to show you around.