North Andover resident and NECC student and scholarship recipient.

After caring for family members who have struggled with cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and physical disabilities Northern Essex Community College student and North Andover resident Cheryl Davis is fulfilling her longtime ambition of becoming a registered nurse – and a scholarship from The Georgetown Bank is helping her.

“This scholarship is very important to me,” she says. “I couldn’t pay for my tuition without it.”

Davis is one of six North Andover Residents to receive an NECC Scholarship and one of 250 NECC students overall to share nearly $200,000 in scholarship money for the 2014-2015 academic year. The majority of scholarships range from $500 to $1,000 and come from a variety of sources, including private donors, memorial donations, local businesses, and private foundations.

The 39-year-old, who graduated from North Andover High School in 1993, attended Northern Essex for several semesters before leaving to join the work force. After working for a number of years in retail she consulted with a vocational counselor who helped her narrow her focus on her professional plans. Caring for a number of relatives with health issues helped her realize her true calling was caring for ill individuals. 

Finding her calling was the easy part, she says. Returning to college offered its own challenges. It required some lifestyle adjustments which included moving back into her parents’ home and reducing her work hours to accommodate school commitments like externships.  

After being out of school for many years, Davis also had to overcome her anxiety about returning to the classroom. So, she began by enrolling in a phlebotomy certificate then offered by iHealth@NECC.

“I loved the program and working with patients in my externship.  I started to earn A’s and realized I can do this,” she says.

After completing the phlebotomy program in 2012 she had a new found confidence in her academic abilities and returned to complete the iHealth@NECC Healthcare Technician Certificate which prepares students to be entry level EKG technicians and phlebotomists .

 “These iHealth programs served as a gateway to the nursing program for me,” she says. “iHealth allowed me to come back to school while I worked full time.”

She became a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and graduated from the Healthcare Technician Program with high honors.

Davis has been productive outside the classroom as well. In addition to working at the Andover CVS store, she created a walking team for the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2013 Walk to End Alzheimer’s event in Andover.  With the help and support of NECC, she also hosted an Alzheimer’s Awareness event at the Lawrence Campus.

Since then she has been waitlisted for the NECC Associate of Science Nursing program. She has completed all her prerequisites and is currently enrolled in additional elective classes.

“I have always loved to help others.  I look forward to bringing comfort and healing to patients.”  She is interested in working in oncology, pediatrics or elder care.

Other North Andover residents to receive scholarships include:

Michaela Ardagna               Chester W. and Sally Ann Hawrylciw Memorial Scholarship

            Yakaira Capellan                 NECC Foundation, Inc. Scholarship

            Haley Lister-Robbins          Deborah Pifer Memorial Scholarship

            Shannon Marr                      NECC Foundation, Inc. Scholarship

            Elizabeth Perry                     NECC Foundation, Inc. Scholarship

            Lorraine Poitier-Butler         NECC Foundation, Inc. Scholarship