School of Nursing Alumni Association

Nursing Student Scholarship Campaign

Dear Fellow Alumni,

I'm still smiling from our Centennial Dinner Dance on October 18! What a joy it was to see so many familiar faces — and new ones — from classes spanning 1958 to 2023, all gathered to celebrate 100 years of nursing excellence at Holy Name. The stories, laughter, and shared memories reminded me once again that our School of Nursing is not just where we learned our profession — it's where we became family.

Our alumni family has been active from the very beginning. After the first class graduated in 1928, the newly formed Alumni Association met at least twice a month. Even during the Great Depression, these devoted nurses raised thousands of dollars to help patients at Holy Name who could not pay their bills. Their spirit of service — to the hospital, to the community, and to one another — became a defining part of Holy Name's culture.

By 1939, as the winds of war swept across Europe and the world faced an international call for nurses, the Alumni Association — under the leadership of President Josephine R. Iorio, Class of 1933 — decided to take on a new mission: to create a scholarship fund to help students who could not afford nursing school. And so began the Holy Name Alumni Scholarship Fund — a tradition that has endured now for 86 years.

Miss Iorio's life was a model of the selfless service our profession demands. She answered the call to serve in World War II, earning the rank of Captain in the 349th Army Surgical Hospital. After the war, she continued her career as an industrial nurse at the DuPont paint plant in Pompton Lakes, where she worked for 30 years. When she passed at the age of 91, she established the Josephine Iorio Scholarship Fund with a bequest. For 23 years, Holy Name has proudly awarded scholarships to nursing students in her name — continuing her legacy of generosity and care for future generations.

Please join me in honoring that legacy with a gift to the Alumni Association to help fund scholarships for those who will walk in our footsteps.

Friends, our alma mater has become an even brighter beacon. So far, the Class of 2025 has a near perfect NCLEX passing rate; well above the national average. The class sizes are among the largest there have ever been. Still, over 75% of our students have unmet financial needs. Your contribution, whatever the amount, makes a real difference for a student who dreams of becoming a Holy Name nurse — just as we once did. Together, we can ensure that our next century of nurses begins with strength, compassion, and the support of those who walked this path before them.

With gratitude and pride,

Sharon Callis Briggs, '68
President, Holy Name Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing Alumni Association