A Rockford organization is stepping in to ensure our nurses truly reflect our diverse community.

Rockford Health Systems along with Rockford Memorial Hospital presented six area minority women with scholarships to pursue careers in nursing. Each recipient received two thousand dollars to attend any local nursing college of their choice. The scholarships were awarded to promote diversity in the field and help remove financial barriers, which often prevent many from becoming nurses. Scholarship recipients are more than happy.

"I'm really proud of myself, and happy I wrote and I took the chance. I was nervous about doing it, but I wrote a good essay and I was nervous and I got it, and I'm really proud of myself," said Marqueta Dorsey.

Nationally, 87 percent of all nurses are White, only 4.9 percent African-American and 2 percent are Hispanic.