Scholarships at Rush University are more than financial aid — they open doors to possibility. The following student spotlights reflect how scholarship support empowers future health care leaders to focus on their studies, pursue their passions and give back to their communities.
Bart Stefaniuk
MS Student Health Systems Management, College of Health Sciences
When Bart Stefaniuk began college at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, his sights were set on medical school. Through volunteering and leadership roles, he discovered another passion: the business side of health care. He was drawn to the systems and strategies that make care possible and wanted to build a career shaping them. That realization brought him to Rush’s nationally ranked Master of Science in Health Systems Management program, where he is now entering his second year.
For Bart, a scholarship has been more than financial support; it has been a source of encouragement and trust.
“Receiving a scholarship was an incredible honor,” he says. “It lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and gave me the freedom to focus on opportunities that are helping me grow as a health care leader.”
That support has opened doors to experiences that have defined his time at Rush. He represented Rush University at the Ohio State University case competition, attended the ACHE Congress in Texas and participated in the Becker’s Healthcare conference in Chicago. He has also been involved in professional organizations, from volunteering with the Healthcare Financial Management Association, where he is helping launch an early careers committee, to engaging with CHEF, the Illinois chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
The scholarship also empowers Bart to approach graduate school on his own terms. He has been able to build independence, commit to his coursework and say yes to opportunities that expand both his skills and his community.
This past summer, he interned in health care operations and consulting, an experience that sharpened his technical skills and gave him confidence in his abilities. Looking ahead, he is exploring both administrative fellowships and consulting roles.
“Rush has shown me how important it is to be surrounded by good people and a strong culture,” Bart says. “That is the kind of environment I want to be part of in my career.”
Ashley Roche
PhD Candidate Nursing Science, College of Nursing
For Ashley Roche, nursing is a calling that grew from years spent working in clinical research with patients facing late-stage cancer.
“Every single patient I enrolled in a trial eventually passed away,” she said. “I wanted to be closer to the bedside to be present with them and their families.”
That decision brought her to Rush, where she discovered both her love of critical care and a lasting connection to the Rush community.
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Ashley has now been in Chicago for over a decade. Today, she serves as a clinical nurse leader in the CVICU at Loyola University Medical Center while also teaching as a clinical instructor in the College of Nursing. Her journey at Rush has spanned 13 years, first as a GEM student and now as a PhD candidate focused on disparities in end-of-life care.
Scholarship support has played an important role on her journey. Scholarships made it possible for Ashley to dedicate herself to the rigorous GME program and invest energy in opportunities that shaped her career. One of those experiences was becoming a Schweitzer Fellow and exploring advanced care planning at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly.
“That experience deepened my commitment to making sure people are able to die with dignity and within their wishes,” she says.
Through her PhD research, she hopes to address systemic barriers that prevent equitable access to hospice and end-of-life services. She points to troubling patterns in the data that show Black patients are far less likely than their white peers to have important conversations about end-of-life care or to receive hospice support. Her goal is to advocate for policy changes that expand access and create more consistent standards of care.
Rush has been central to this vision, not only through education and scholarship support but also through mentors and role models.
“Seeing researchers like Drs. Wrenetha Julion and Monique Reed secure major grants and change science as we know it has been so inspiring,” Ashley says. “It matters deeply to see people who look like me leading this work.”
Now on the path toward completing her doctorate, Ashley continues to honor the mission that first drew her into nursing: ensuring that every patient can face the end of life with dignity and compassion
Hannah Allen
MD Student, Rush Medical College
For Hannah Allen, now in her fourth year of medical school, scholarships mean being able to pursue the path that makes her heart happiest.
Growing up in Evanston, Illinois, Hannah Allen was fascinated by science from a young age. She recalled with a laugh that her American Girl dolls frequently wore homemade casts fashioned from toilet paper and tape. After earning degrees in neuroscience and psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and spending two years conducting research at the National Institutes of Health, Hannah set her sights on her dream medical school: Rush.
“When I got accepted, it felt almost too good to be true,” Hannah recalls. “Receiving the scholarship made it feel like Rush chose me back.”
Passionate about neurology but happiest when working with children, Hannah faced a pivotal choice: She could pursue adult neurology, completing residency sooner, or follow her passion for child neurology, a path that requires a longer training commitment but offers the chance to care for children.
“The scholarship gave me the freedom to choose the path that felt right,” she says. “It let me follow my heart without the added pressure of finances.”
Beyond the classroom, Hannah’s time at Rush has been shaped by advocacy and community. After losing one of her best friends in her first year, Rush provided compassionate support that allowed her time to grieve. In her friend’s memory, she serves as Sunshine Committee chair for the Caitlin Westerfield WISTEM Fund, which supports girls and women in STEM. She has also partnered with faculty to connect medical students and pregnant patients through a peer support initiative. She is training to run the Chicago Marathon to benefit After School Matters. And Hannah returned to Irish dance to honor the friend she lost and found resilience in a community that includes childhood friends.
Now applying to child neurology residencies across the country, Hannah is ready for the next chapter.
“This scholarship allowed me to choose the specialty that makes my heart happiest, instead of the one with the biggest paycheck,” she says. “It is a gift I will always be grateful for.”