Elaine Trushel Nursing Scholarship Provides Hope, Support for Future Nurses

Anyone who has received medical assistance or supported a loved one through a medical experience, whether in a clinic or at a hospital, understands the importance of knowledgeable and compassionate care. As a devoted nurse practitioner, Elaine Ann Akunevich Trushel provided the highest level of care while serving our country in the U.S. Navy.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 1, 1951, Elaine received her nurse’s training at Mount Auburn Hospital School of Nursing in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, she was commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corps as an ensign. She served at several different duty stations, including Guam, where she was part of the Vietnam Baby Airlift. When she returned from Guam, she was assigned to the Naval Hospital in Pensacola as a family nurse practitioner. After proudly serving in the Navy, she was medically retired in 1982. Staying in Pensacola, she worked with the American Red Cross, where she met the love of her life, William “Bill” Trushel.

Together, the Trushels served the Northwest Florida community in various capacities for years through the United States Navy, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the local Search and Rescue Team, and the volunteer Fire Department, in addition to the American Red Cross.

“She was the director of the nursing program [at the Red Cross], and I was in disaster relief. The chapter secretary cajoled us into taking a date because she thought we would be good together; well, she was right,” chuckled Trushel. Considering ways to honor his beautiful wife after her passing in 2005, Bill thought of Pensacola State College, where he earned his associate in science degree in 1989.

The Trushel family, along with PSC President Ed Meadows, the Foundation Board of Governors, and the District Board of Trustees, were pleased to announce the establishment of the Elaine Trushel Nursing Endowed Scholarship on Wednesday, September 25 at the PSC Warrington campus. The scholarship will help aspiring nurses pursue education at PSC in Elaine’s name into perpetuity.

This $322,000 endowment will provide a full-ride scholarship for at least one student enrolled in the associate in science in registered nursing program each year. The scholarship will help Florida residents who have a grade point average of 2.0 to 3.0 and have a financial need for supplemental funding.

Dean of Health Sciences, Dr. Dusti Sluder, thanked Trushel for such a generous gift. Sluder shared, “According to recent reports, Florida is expected to see nearly 60,000 nursing vacancies by the year 2035. It is our goal to lessen that shortage, and with the support of kind donors, we know we can reach this goal.”

PSC Foundation Governor Chief Eric Randall, proudly shared: “Pensacola State College is ranked in the top six percent of U.S. colleges and in the top four percent of all U.S. public colleges in affordability by the U.S. Department of Education. However, funding for college can remain a challenge for many students. Donors help bridge this with scholarships. The PSC Foundation currently houses [over] 300 donor-funded scholarships for our students. From 2019 to 2023, these scholarships from donors provided more than $3.6 million in support to deserving [PSC] students. We are humbled by the positive impact that donors like Bill have made [for] our students and their families.”

PSC President Dr. Ed Meadows acknowledged, “The thing about nursing is it’s hard to get in the program, it’s hard to complete the program academically, but it’s also hard to pay for the program. If it weren’t for our Foundation, we would have far fewer students in our nursing program. Through the benevolence of people like Bill, we have the opportunity to offer scholarships to deserving students.”

Director of Nursing, Dr. Corey Lofton welcomed Amanda Pearson, the inaugural recipient of the Trushel family scholarship. Lofton shared that Pearson would be receiving her education in a “state-of-the-art simulation center,” that surpasses the facilities offered in the state of Florida and the region.

Pearson shared her testimony, making it clear the financial support will make a difference in her family’s life. As a single mother raising two young boys, Pearson was emotional as she shared, “Receiving this scholarship has removed any and all financial burden – and more importantly, the stress that comes along with that. Because of what you have done for me, I can pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. I have two little boys [ages eight and five], and the sun rises and falls for them. They . . . inspired me to pursue a career in nursing. I not only look forward to showing them what a little hard work and dedication can get you, but also to provide them with the life they deserve.”

Director of Foundation Scholarships Mikenzie Francis-Opperman said, “Amanda is the first of many students who will benefit from this special scholarship. It is endowed, which means that this scholarship will exist for as long as PSC exists, so similar testimonies will continue long after we are all gone.” She then introduced Guest of Honor William Trushel.

Trushel’s love for his late wife, Elaine, was clear as he shared details of her life and career. He recalled his own educational experience, “I attended PJC . . . because it helps people who work and [who] have families get an education. I thought it proper to create a nursing scholarship endowment at Pensacola State College to have [Elaine] remembered forever.”

Executive Director of Institutional Development Andrea Krieger wrapped up the event, saying “Truly, it is such a privilege on a regular basis to work with folks like Bill. We are grateful that family and friends showed up to support Bill, because it’s hard to get up and talk about somebody you care about so much . . . even when you do something really good in their honor. This is what has made PSC special for 75 years. We need 75 more! So, encourage everybody you know to share the good works that happen at PSC. We never know the impacts we can have by being involved with this fabulous institution.”

Contributions to the scholarship can be made online by selecting “Elaine Trushel Nursing Endowed Scholarship” from the drop-down menu at: https://foundation.pensacolastate.edu/opportunities-to-support-psc/scholarships/.

Gifts also can be made by check payable to “The Pensacola State College Foundation.” Checks can be mailed to or dropped off at: Pensacola State College Foundation, 1000 College Boulevard, Building 17, Pensacola, FL 32504.

Interested in establishing a scholarship to honor someone special in your life? Contact Mikenzie Francis-Opperman, Director of Foundation Scholarships at (850) 484-1788 or mfrancis-opperman@pensacolastate.edu for more information.