Joy and Milestones

pictured above: Megan Balla

Two students share how the Carole A. Anderson Fellowship changed their lives

by Ella Gomez

What was it like for Megan Balla to receive the Carole A. Anderson Graduate Fellowship?

“I was ecstatic and relieved beyond belief,” Balla said. “I was really struggling to maintain working full time while in school and this scholarship allowed me to decrease my hours at work. The change in my work-school-life balance this semester has improved greatly.”

Searching for scholarships to elude this financial stress was a top priority for Balla and Colleen Martucci as they reached their final year of graduate school. Both students received The Carole A. Anderson Graduate Fellowship for the 2023-2024 school year.

Former Dean of the College of Nursing Carole A. Anderson, PhD, inspired many students including Balla and Martucci to create a positive impact through their nursing careers. “I hope as I advance in my nursing career I can leave as big of a positive imprint as she did,” Balla said. “I want to have that same level of empathy and care for the people I’m taking care of.”

While working on the Med/Surg unit at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Balla realized after-care for mothers is often overlooked. Balla, who has been a postpartum nurse at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center for two years, loves being there for her patients and is pursuing a master’s degree specializing in midwifery. “Being able to take part in their joy and milestones and getting to be there for them long term is special,” Balla said. She will graduate in the summer of 2024 and hopes to open her own practice or be in a midwife cohort to give more birthing options in the Columbus area.

Martucci, who lives in Chicago and works for Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in a GI/Endoscopy lab, is in the BSN to DNP program at Ohio State. “Carole Anderson has been such a pioneer for nursing in general, paving the way for a lot of nursing and research,” she said.

Martucci hopes to become a family nurse practitioner after receiving her DNP. She is also interested in teaching college students, especially knowing Anderson had a passion for this field as well. “Being able to admire her legacy and utilize some of that as my driving force for my nursing career is important, especially knowing she paved the way in nursing and research,” Martucci said.