CORNING, N.Y. (WETM) – A new scholarship is being launched at SUNY Corning Community College for students currently enrolled in the College’s Nursing A.A.S. program to help combat the nursing shortages the country continues to face.

The scholarship was created by the Office of Racial Equity and Social Unity and is being launched by Corning Incorporated and CCC to combat nursing shortages while also supporting nursing students from underrepresented backgrounds. The scholarship is named after the first Black person in the U.S. to earn a professional nursing license—the Mary Eliza Mahoney Nursing Education Scholarship.

The two-year scholarship will be awarded to three students who will commit to working in Chemung or Steuben counties upon completion of CCC’s nursing prelicensure program. This includes a two-year commitment for full-time employment and a four-year commitment for part-time.

A celebratory scholarship event is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25, where the recipients will be announced during a ceremony.