Shirley Gallagher Memorial Nursing Scholarship recipient Katrina Lanes (right) accepts her award from Miles Memorial Hospital League Thrift Store Manager Paula Romano. (Courtesy photo)
The recipient of the Shirley Gallagher Memorial Nursing Scholarship is Katrina Lanes. Miles Memorial Hospital League Thrift Store Manager Paula Romano presented Lanes the award earlier this month.
Established in 2025 by the Miles Memorial Hospital League in honor of longtime Miles Drop-Off Center volunteer and former nurse Shirley Gallagher, the $1,500 scholarship is awarded annually to a current or former Lincoln County student pursuing a career in nursing.
Katrina, a graduate of Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, is currently a certified nursing assistant at MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta. She will attend Central Maine Community College this summer and enroll in its nursing program this fall. Before joining the hospital, Katrina worked as a direct support professional for adults with developmental disabilities.
“There have been two major influences in my desire to pursue nursing,” she said. “During COVID, I felt I could be doing more to help others if I had a degree in nursing. The second influence was being a cancer survivor. Throughout treatment, I had great nurses, care and emotional support. I want to give back and support others going through their medical journeys, and I look forward to acquiring all the skills needed to begin my career as an RN in oncology.”
(In operation since 1930, Miles Memorial Hospital League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed to improve the health and wellness of the community by providing financial support for the local healthcare system. For more information, go to milesmemorialthriftshop.org.)
