A $50,000 gift from alumna Sallie Mathews Romano will establish a scholarship to aid future nursing students.
From grade school through high school, one goal remained consistent for Sallie Mathews Romano: She wanted to become a nurse. And she did, graduating from the West Virginia University School of Nursing in 1973.
“I firmly believe that nurses are the eyes, ears and heart of the patient-centered health care team, with emphasis on care,” Romano said. “Supporting the West Virginia University School of Nursing is a very worthy endeavor.”
Romano established the Sallie Mathews Romano 73 Nursing Scholarship after 40 years of positive professional experiences and a rewarding career. The $50,000 endowment gift will support students who, like Romano, aspire to enter a complex health care environment to improve the lives of others.
"Hearing the enthusiasm and pride with which Sallie speaks about the WVU School of Nursing is truly heartwarming," Dr. Tara Hulsey, Dean and E. Jane Martin Endowed Professor, said. "We certainly share her sentiments, and we are proud to have her as an alumna. Sallie's generous gift will help sustain our legacy of educating and training skilled, compassionate nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level."
Growing up in Vienna along the Ohio River, Romano and her mother proudly supported the Mountaineers, screaming “Let’s Go” and regularly offering a little armchair coaching. As her love for WVU grew, it was no surprise that Romano wanted to head to Morgantown after graduating from Parkersburg High School.
“When it was time to get serious about making choices, I knew I wanted to go to the WVU School of Nursing,” Romano said. “It was important to me to get a Bachelor of Science in nursing. In fact, it was the only school to which I applied, and I felt fortunate that I was accepted.”
Undergraduate recipients of the Romano scholarship must be West Virginia residents. First preference will be given to students from Wood County, where Romano grew up, or Harrison County, where she and her husband reside.
The School of Nursing boasts a 99% passing rate for first time test-takers of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Unsurprised, Romano said there is a tradition of excellence at WVU.
“The nursing faculty taught with enthusiasm, making it abundantly clear that the foundation for nursing practice was grounded in knowledge, with depth and breadth and genuine caring,” Romano said. “We were taught to make nursing care-related decisions using a scientific problem-solving method. I graduated feeling prepared to step in to my role as a nurse.”
Over the span of her career, Romano worked in patient care, patient education, nurse management and patient care coordination for post-surgical intensive and acute care units. However, she spent most of her career as a legal nurse consultant.
Romano’s alma mater has greatly expanded since 1973, now offering undergraduate and graduate degree options at five campuses.
“Patient care is in good hands because there are Mountaineer-prepared nurses,” Romano said. “I am pleased to be a small part of helping to prepare other strong, proud nursing alumni.”
For the Romanos, attending WVU and becoming Mountaineers has been a family tradition. Sallie’s husband, David J. Romano, is a WVU College of Law graduate and practicing trial lawyer. All four of their children, Rachel, David, Nathan and Lucie, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from WVU.
Gifts like the Sallie Mathews Romano 73 Nursing Scholarship are made through WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
If you are interested in donating to the WVU School of Nursing, please contact Dr. Kimberly Colebank, Development Director, at kcolebank@wvuf.org or (304) 554-0237.