Long-Mella Awarded Neskey Educational Opportunity Fund Scholarship
Nurse leaders and colleagues surprise Marino Long-Mella (center, holding certificate) with exciting news.
Patient Care Assistant (PCA) Marino Long-Mella was in the Pre-Op area for his shift on Aug. 1 when he got a surprise that would, as he said, “change my life forever.”
That afternoon, a group of nursing leaders arrived in Pre-Op with balloons and the announcement that Long-Mella is this year’s recipient of the Neskey Educational Opportunity Fund Scholarship. “I was at a loss for words, but I knew right then and there that my life would change,” he said.
Long-Mella aspires to be a nurse practitioner to partner with patients on preventative care and to someday open a clinic in Boston. “I want to be able to give back on a grand scale and show that holistic health and medicine are essential to make this world a better place,” he said. “Every patient I touch and every story I hear makes me want to work harder to achieve my goals.”
The Neskey family established the scholarship after Sharon Neskey received excellent care from a PCA at the Brigham. Each year, these scholarships support PCAs in attending the University of Massachusetts Boston to pursue a bachelor’s in nursing.
“I am elated to have this support,” said Long-Mella, who began his core nursing classes this month. “This scholarship will come full circle because I will ensure that every person I care for has the best experience possible.”