FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Nursing instructor Heather Evenson
Heather Evenson, MSN, RN, has been employed with Moraine Park for almost three years as a member of the nursing team. Her great leadership is obvious to those who work with her or are students of hers. But there is more to Heather’s contributions to nursing and her students that often goes unseen. Prior to her employment at Moraine Park, she lent tuition money to a young girl who wanted to return to school so she could have a better income. Heather assisted her in finding a program at Moraine Park, and she has since graduated.
According to Heather, this gesture was just a small illustration of her larger beliefs regarding the value of education.
“She had the smarts and the drive, she just needed a little help, it was an easy thing to do, and I barely thought about it; it was almost innate. I always try to get people to come to Moraine Park for the nursing program but, in the end, isn’t it just about getting people to better themselves in any capacity?”
Heather’s parents, John and Sandie Wright, give a nursing scholarship in Heather’s name each year as a birthday gift to her.
“There is no better gift in the world than education so this is a two-fold gift for me,” Heather said.
She also funds another scholarship herself, the Elizabeth Kimball Wright scholarship. This scholarship is for men entering their third semester in the nursing program. Both scholarships are through the Moraine Park foundation.
When working as a registered nurse she is frequently approached to field questions about Moraine Park: programs, cost, “Where do I start?,” concerns over low high school GPA’s.
A love of nursing and giving back
Heather has been a registered nurse since 2002 when she graduated from the Community College of Rhode Island with her ADN. She moved from RI to be close to her family and enjoy working and living in an area where people looked out for one another. Heather completed her BSN and MSN at UW-Oshkosh. Heather still practices as a medical-surgical RN every Saturday and over the winter and summer breaks.
“I love teaching within an ADN program, because I feel I can role model that the ADN is the gateway to all of your dreams,” Heather said.
Heather sought out employment within the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) with vigor because of her own success as an ADN.
“As you see from my progression, if you can get the degree and start earning money, everything else just falls into place,” she said.
Now, Heather is always a willing and shining spokesperson and representative for the Moraine Park nursing program as well as the WTCS as a whole. She has a strong connection to the profession and organizations she has aligned with and works to promote the symbiotic relationship that exists.
She’s volunteered time to speak to high school students and professionals alike to promote the merits of the nursing profession. She has also served on Moraine Park’s Health and Wellness Team, attends yearly WTCS nursing meetings, showcased career options to perspective students at Discover Moraine Park and, well, much more!
”Our values drive our behaviors. I value my education and each of the students that I work with because I know what life changing things will happen once they enter the workforce for themselves, their families and the communities we share”.
Though Heather has certainly focused much of her attention on promoting the nursing profession, she has also found numerous other ways to contribute to her community as well.
To name just a few, she has given presentations to the Fond du Lac Association of Commerce Annual Meeting and Fond du Lac Noon Rotary; has volunteered as a Salvation Army Bell ringer and Old Glory Honor Flight medical personnel; is a United Way donator; and has been published in the Fond du Lac Reporter and other publications promoting nurses advocacy issues such as pain control and new federal regulations.
To learn more about Moraine Park and its nursing program, visit morainepark.edu.
