MOOREFIELD, W.Va. – On Thursday, August 29, 2024, Jeff Fraley, director of nursing education, Bob Cross, and Steve Vaughn, representatives from 40 & 8 Hardy County Voiture 1623, presented four $500 checks from their nursing scholarship to Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College nursing students. The nursing student recipients were Kelsie VanMeter of Grant County, Brittany Goldizen of Grant County, Madison Miller of Hardy County, and Tara LeeAnn Aylor of Hardy County. “I am incredibly grateful for the scholarship 40 & 8 that I was granted,” said Kelsie VanMeter, “With this scholarship, I am blessed to be moving forward with my career. Thank you to all that choose to help me be successful with my career path”
“I am honored to receive the 40 & 8 scholarship this semester. Receiving this scholarship will help with my nursing school expenses, allowing me more time to study,” said Madison Miller, “The 40 & 8 has helped relieve some financial burden this semester to help pursue my education career. This scholarship will help allow me to continue pursuing my dreams to come back to my community to provide quality health care.”
“The 40 & 8 scholarship will tremendously help me in my educational journey with Eastern. Financial stability has always been a barrier for me, and being awarded this scholarship makes a huge impact while I am in the nursing program,” said Brittany Goldizen, “It has always been my dream to be a registered nurse, and thanks to this scholarship, I am able to make this dream a reality. I am so grateful for this scholarship and look forward to giving back to my local community!”
The 40 & 8 was founded in 1920 by American Veterans returning from France after World War I. In 1955, they began their support for nursing education. Voiture 1623 of the 40 & 8, based in Moorefield, has been a longtime advocate and supporter of Eastern’s nursing students with this scholarship. “The 40 & 8 support nursing scholarships throughout the United States. If you read into the history, it originated after World War I,” said Fraley, director of nursing education for 40 & 8, “Once the troops started coming home that were injured, folks found that there was a shortage of nursing and that’s when they started the program.”
This is the first time these students have been awarded this scholarship, as this is their first semester in the nursing program at Eastern. In support of their nursing scholarship program, members of the 40 & 8 hold several fundraising events each year. Nursing student, Tara LeeAnn Aylor, said, “Caring for others begins with empowering yourself – through education, dedication, and compassion. This emphasizes the commitment to both personal growth and patient care, which are at the heart of nursing.”
“Your generous scholarship investment does more than support education; it fosters the development of compassionate healers and dedicated caregivers. Your confidence in our nursing students reflects the significant journey they are undertaking, and your support ensures they gain not only knowledge but also the spirit of empathy and excellence in patient care,” said Alicia Van Meter, nursing program director at Eastern, “Your contribution serves as a guiding light, leading the next generation of healthcare professionals toward brighter, more compassionate futures. We are grateful for your essential role in shaping the compassionate heartbeats of our nursing program.”
About the 40 & 8
La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux (The Society of Forty Men and Eight Horses) membership is by invitation, and open only to honorably discharged veterans and honorably serving members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The society was created in 1920 in the wake of World War I, and the name comes from the French railway boxcars that carried most of the soldiers to the front lines. The boxcars featured a sign indicating the boxcar’s capacity: 40 men/8 horses. The national organization’s mission to support nursing education began in 1955.
About Eastern’s Nursing Program
The nursing program at Eastern dates back to 2006 when Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College launched a nursing program division in Moorefield. With Southern’s permission, Eastern later adopted the program’s curriculum and earned independent program accreditation from the WV Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses. The two-year RN program, which admits new students every other year, is also accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). For more information, visit https://easternwv.edu/academics/nursing-program/.