Skip to main content

Home Health VNA Awards Memorial Scholarship to Greater Lawrence Technical School Graduate Rechelly Paula

June 17, 2021

Lawrence, Mass. – Home Health VNA has awarded a scholarship presented annually in memory of a former employee to Rechelly Paula, a Lawrence resident and graduate of the Health Careers Department at Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover. Paula plans to study nursing at Barry University in Miami this fall with the goal of becoming a physician assistant.

“This scholarship is a big help,” Paula said. “I’m very grateful and excited to receive it.”

The $500 scholarship was established in 1995 as a tribute to Lisa Santiago Ventura, who sustained fatal injuries after being struck during a high-speed police chase while driving to care for a patient. In her memory, Home Health VNA awards the Lisa Santiago Ventura Memorial Scholarship to a graduating senior of Greater Lawrence Technical School where she was once a student.

Lindsay Gangi, lead instructor in the Health Careers Department at Greater Lawrence Technical School, called Paula “a fantastic student and person.”

“Rechelly is so well-rounded, and her naturally caring attributes are perfect for her career in health care,” Gangi said. “She is a wonderfully compassionate person who is going to touch many, many lives.”

At Greater Lawrence Technical School, Paula was vice president of the Class of 2021 and nominated as a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education. A member of the National Honor Society with a 4.02 GPA, she gained work experience in nursing home and hospital settings and was a four-sport athlete competing in softball, basketball, cross-country and swimming.

Paula said her interest in nursing was inspired by the excellent home health care which her grandfather received prior to his death in 2017.

“I still remember the nurses’ kindness during what was an overwhelmingly stressful time for my family,” Paula recalled. “I want to be the person that supports a family going through hard times by making sure that everyone is okay and knows what is going on.”

Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ, president and chief executive officer of Home Health Foundation, said she is looking forward to following Paula’s collegiate and healthcare careers.

“It is a sincere pleasure to present this scholarship to such a dedicated, caring young healthcare professional,” Gomes said. “We proudly welcome Rechelly into our agency’s legacy of caring.”

Home Health VNA Awards Memorial Scholarship
Pictured, counterclockwise from bottom: Home Health Foundation President and CEO Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ awards the Lisa Santiago Ventura Memorial Scholarship to Greater Lawrence Technical School graduate Rechelly Paula as Lindsay Gangi, lead instructor in the school’s Health Careers Department, looks on with pride. (Courtesy photo)

About Home Health VNA

Home Health VNA is a not-for-profit home care agency affiliated with Home Health Foundation, which also includes providers Circle Home, Hallmark Health VNA, Home Health VNA of NH, Merrimack Valley Hospice and York Hospital Hospice as part of the Wellforce Health System. Together, these agencies are leading the development of a new era of innovation, with a relentless focus on transforming home-based health and hospice care in all the places patients call home.

Articles
Home Health VNA Awards Scholarship to Fleiry Mendez of Lawrence
Lawrence, Mass. (July 2, 2020) – Home Health VNA, a Lawrence-based nonprofit organization providing essential home health care to maximize patients’ independence and quality of life, has awarded a $500 college scholarship to Fleiry Mendez.
Articles
Patricia Finocchiaro, RN, MS Promoted to Clinical Director of Home Health VNA
Lawrence, Mass. – Patricia Finocchiaro, RN, MS has been promoted to clinical director of Home Health VNA, a nonprofit service provider of Lawrence-based Home Health Foundation which provides a comprehensive continuum of home health, palliative, hospice, aide and private care services in all the places patients call home.
Articles
Home Health Foundation Honors David W. Nesbitt of Andover
Board president emeritus retires following 15 years of service.

Be among the first to know

Enjoy the latest health updates from Tufts Medicine by signing up for our e-newsletter today.

Jump back to top