River Yazzie received one of the Friends of Hubbell $2,500 scholarships funded directly from our auction proceeds. She is a mom who has never forgotten her experience giving birth and her admiration and appreciation of the labor and delivery nurse who was working long overtime hours to be sure both River and her baby boy were both taken care of during and following childbirth.

River saw first-hand the shortages of trained medical personnel that work on the Navajo Reservation. It was also at this time; she knew she wanted to become a nurse. “In Ganado, AZ, where I am from, they do not have enough health care workers that are willing to live in such a remote area. The poverty level and cultural atmosphere tend to scare off some workers,” she believes.

“It makes me happy knowing that I can take what I learn at Arizona College of Nursing back home to Ganado to care form my people. I want to be able to give great care to the people around Ganado no matter what their economic status is.” Although River currently lives in Mesa while attend college, she plans to return to her home in Ganado after graduation as a registered nurse.