Kelly Ade, a nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital, has been named one of the first recipients of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship. She is among 12 graduate students chosen for this new pilot program, which aims to address the shortage of nursing faculty and expand SUNY’s ability to train future nurses.
The scholarship is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s broader healthcare workforce agenda. It provides financial support for baccalaureate-prepared nurses who are pursuing a master’s degree in nursing. In exchange, recipients agree to serve as faculty members for three years at a SUNY associate-level nursing program.
Each scholarship covers up to $25,000 per academic year—up to $20,000 for tuition and fees at a qualifying SUNY master’s in nursing program and an additional $5,000 annual stipend during eligible enrollment. Applicants must be practicing registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and enrolled in a master’s program.
“I am overwhelmed with an immense sense of gratitude and honor,” said Ade. “It relieves the financial stress of graduate education but also allows me the opportunity to give back to the future nursing workforce. I am so grateful to God.”
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. commented on the initiative: “Governor Hochul has set a clear and ambitious agenda to strengthen our future healthcare workforce, and SUNY has been laser-focused on supporting more New Yorkers to successfully enter this field through ongoing investment in our infrastructure and essential medical equipment, strategic partnerships, and academic programs. New Yorkers are eager to pursue careers in nursing, and we need more skilled faculty to teach the next generation of nurses.”
Ade lives in Miller Place, New York, and is currently entering her second semester as a part-time graduate student at Stony Brook School of Nursing’s Family Nurse Practitioner program. She also works as a registered nurse in Stony Brook University Hospital’s main operating room.
“Career-wise, it allows me the opportunity to teach nursing students in a two-year program, which has been a long-term career aspiration for me,” she said.
She hopes eventually to become an advanced practice provider specializing in cardiology or functional medicine and later teach as a university-level professor.
Ade credits her parents—both healthcare workers—for influencing her decision to pursue nursing: “Nursing is the perfect blend of science and the art of compassion,” she said, “with the main goal of addressing the patient in a holistic way.”
She also acknowledged Cynthia Jorgensen, assistant director of nursing at Stony Brook Medicine: “She promotes a positive culture in which staff are motivated to work to their highest capability, while supporting each other’s goals and aspirations,” said Ade.
Jorgensen expressed pride in Ade’s professional development: “Kelly has not only mastered the skills required for OR nursing, in one of the most complex services, but her professional growth and confidence are inspiring,” she said. “It is a privilege to have her on our team. It is clear she will continue on in the nursing profession with strength and purpose. I look forward to seeing what she will accomplish next.”
For those considering entering nursing, Ade advised remembering personal motivation during challenging times: “You will encounter difficult moments, whether it be as a student balancing a heavy semester with your life events, or as a nurse managing a deteriorating patient,” she said. “In those moments, it’s important to remember why you chose to be a nurse and let it motivate you through those moments.”
Patricia Bruckenthal, dean and professor at Stony Brook School of Nursing added: “We’re so fortunate to have Kelly in our Family Nurse Practitioner program. The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship is a strategic investment in the future of nursing — bringing talented nurses into education roles which will in turn expand student capacity while ensuring a resilient healthcare workforce in New York. It’s a meaningful step toward training the educators who will train the nurses of tomorrow. We look forward to the impact Kelly will have on our future nurses.”
