Ukiah… In 2018, Dr. Scott Gherini and Holly Enzler established a scholarship for students enrolled in the Mendocino College Nursing Program. The scholarship has two parts; one to honor a local medical practitioner and two to provide the resources for a nursing student to stay in school and keep progressing towards their goal.
This year, Gherini and Enzler are thrilled to honor Dr. Ken Hoek and Mrs. Brenda Hoek for their dedication and service to the medical community in Mendocino County. Hoek is a long-time orthopedic surgeon and Brenda is a registered nurse working at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley.
The recipient of the $2,500 scholarship is Marlayna Trujillo a first year nursing student at Mendocino College. Trujillo is proudly following in the footsteps of her mother who is a nurse.
Katie Fairbairn, Executive Director Mendocino College Foundation 707-468-3164 June 18, 2020
1000 Hensley Creek Road Ukiah, California 95482 http://foundation.mendocino.edu
An Upper Lake High School graduate, Marlayna’s medical journey began at San Joaquin Valley College by completing the medical assistant program in 2011. Presently, she works part time at Mendocino Community Health Clinics in Ukiah as a medical assistant.
This busy mom of five children (ages range from 6 to 16) has been juggling taking care of her family while studying and working part-time. Her grade point average at Mendocino College is a perfect 4.0. She is proudly teaching her children elements about what she’s learning in the nursing program and what it means to care for someone. She hopes to peak their interest and already sees a spark in a few of their eyes.
Marlyana will begin her second year in the nursing program this fall and her future plans include a degree as a family nurse practitioner. She says that the program is one of the hardest things that she has ever done, but loves every minute of it.
Peers describe her as intelligent, hard-working and ambitious. “We have no doubt that Marlayna Trujillo will be an outstanding nurse in our community,” stated Dr. Gherini.
For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation, or to donate to any of their programs, please contact Katie Fairbairn, Executive Director at kfairbairn@mendocino.edu.
