A Passion for Others: Helping a New Generation of Student Nurses
In 2003, when Shary Moran Price ’77 and her husband Matt Price had an opportunity to start a new business close to their home in Dayton, Ohio, they saw the momentum of the economy rushing headlong toward healthcare. Feeling confident they could contribute to this growth in a positive way, they launched a travel nurse staffing company they named Advantage RN.
“When we initially discussed the idea, Matt had been asked to raise some funding for a similar business,” Shary said. “Simultaneously, we had family members in management positions at hospitals voicing their concern about the lack of nurses. The timing just seemed right, so we jumped in head first. Matt’s experience led him to be in the management/operations role, and my background led to me being in the marketing/sales role.”
In time, Advantage RN grew to employ more than 1,000 travel nurses and 150 internal employees located in 12 offices across the country. Shary and Matt grew in their respect for and their commitment to these dedicated healthcare professionals who cared for others day in and day out. Years later, after the Prices sold the agency, they committed to a new endeavor in pursuit of their own passion for helping others.
In 2019, the Prices created the Shary Moran Price ’77 Endowed Nursing Scholarship at Saint Mary’s College to provide deserving students access to the Saint Mary’s nursing program. Their recent commitment of $500,000 will expand the scholarship resources available for a larger range of talented nursing students and prepare even more women for the high-demand field of healthcare.
“You might say the nursing shortage gave us our purpose,” said Shary, whose degree is in psychology. “We appreciate nurses and know how important they are to the well-being of so many. We also knew their numbers were shrinking due to retirement and burnout. Baby boomers were aging out of the workplace yet the need for nurses was growing. In the back of my mind, I also thought this could be a way to support Saint Mary’s and their nursing program in the future.” Through their company, Shary and Matt saw first-hand the need for a strong pipeline of experienced and younger nurses. The Saint Mary’s nursing program is poised to provide younger high-quality candidates.
The Department of Nursing Sciences is, in fact, one of the top nursing programs in Indiana, and the largest academic program on the Saint Mary’s campus for both undergraduate and graduate students. In expanding resources to the undergrad nursing program at Saint Mary’s, Shary and Matt are also expanding access, making an educational experience possible for a larger range of nursing students.
Data on changing national demographics show that students of tomorrow are 10% more likely to be low income and 64% more likely to be first-generation. Saint Mary’s mirrors these trends. In the 2023/2024 academic year, 26% of Saint Mary’s student population were first generation, and more than 20% were eligible to receive Pell grants. Gifts like the Price Endowed Nursing Scholarship allow the College to recruit and retain students who might not otherwise be able to pursue their dream of entering a healthcare profession.
Shary credits her upbringing for instilling in her a desire to look out for others. She and Matt both grew up with parents who helped them understand that not all people are born with the same advantages. “Our parents taught us that each human has a soul and all humans are the same in God’s eyes,” Shary said. “Everyone should be treated equally, and we should all try to help others whenever possible.”
The sale of Advantage RN in 2017 allowed Shary and Matt to establish the Price Family Foundation, a philanthropic venture which focuses on mental health, children, and education. The foundation is a family affair; they have the support of their three grown children—a son in Cincinnati, a daughter in Texas, and a son in Los Angeles—who provide input on charitable initiatives.
“Our children have always been involved in service projects, either through their schools or as a family,” Shary said. As a family, they gather yearly to specifically discuss philanthropic pursuits for the foundation, as well as encourage each other to discover their own passions for giving independently of the foundation.
Shary and Matt view the passing on of their values as a legacy—a way to ensure that the values taught by their parents carry on through their children and grandchildren. Now, with the Shary Moran Price ’77 Endowed Nursing Scholarship, those values of caring for others in need will be further embedded in the hearts of future nurses, too.
October 24, 2024