SON Ambassador Program
About the Program
Launched in Fall 2022, the WVU School of Nursing Ambassador Program is offered each academic year on the Morgantown Campus, as well the Beckley and Keyser Campuses.
Selected students must attend and assist with SON/WVU events for prospective students, whether in person or virtual, along with working four office hours each non-event week in the Office of Student Services or elsewhere within SON as needed.
Students will be compensated with a scholarship for the academic year, awarded in two increments over each semester. Candidates must be in good academic standing.
When applications are open, students will receive an email with additional information about how to apply.
To learn more, contact program director Phillip Engelkemier (Phillip.engelkemier@hsc.wvu.edu) or program assistant director Wendy Holdren (wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu). Please indicate the campus where you are located.
Meet Our Morgantown Ambassadors
Pictured from left: Kylie Dick, Ella Tingler, Bella Botero and Bella Bock.
Kylie Dick was selected in Fall 2022 as one of the inaugural SON Ambassadors. Joining her in 2023 were Bella Botero and Ella Tingler, and new to the team for 2024 is Bella Bock.
Dick, of Bowie, Maryland, said she applied to the ambassador program because she is passionate about the nursing program at WVU.
“When I was applying to schools, the program at WVU stood out,” Dick said. “I want to share my experience with others and bring more students who are passionate about nursing to WVU.”
She said she has always been interested in healthcare, but an anatomy course in high school really steered her toward nursing as a profession: “I learned more about nursing and realized it was the perfect fit for me.”
Botero, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, is an active community member who looks forward to helping others get their footing.
“I am most looking forward to meeting and interacting with the incoming freshman!” she said. “I have a passion for helping others and love being able to answer questions or ease nerves for people.”
Botero is also an active member of WVU CHAARG, TRiO/Student Support Services, WVU Student Nurses Association, WVU Paws, and Helvetia, in addition to working with the WVU Wrestling Team.
Tingler, of Fairmont, is looking forward to creating new connections with first-year nursing students.
“It is so important to have support while in nursing in order to be successful,” she said. “By having this program available, students know they have someone to reach out to so they can become comfortable with making such a big decision regarding their future career.”
After graduation, she wants to become a pediatric nurse in a clinic setting.
Bock, also of Fairmont, wanted to become a School of Nursing Ambassador because she loves interacting with prospective students and answering questions they have about the nursing program.
"I want to be a nurse because I love being able to make a difference in someone's life and to be an advocate for my patiences so that they can get the best care possible," Bock said.
She wants to work in the pediatric ICU after graduation and later further her education to become a nurse anesthetist.
Meet Our Beckley Ambassadors
Pictured from left: Kaitlyn Sizemore, Hannah Ramsey, and Lyndsey Maiolo.
Kaitlyn Sizemore, of Shady Spring, West Virginia, is a senior in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
After the Morgantown Campus program was established in Fall 2022, Sizemore was selected in Spring 2023 as the Beckley Campus Ambassador.
“I wanted to be an ambassador because I want to become more involved within my program, but also to help other students coming into the program feel welcomed,” Sizemore said. “I chose nursing because I have always enjoyed helping those in need, and I want to be able to make a difference within the community.”
Hannah Ramsey, of Oak Hill, also a senior student, wanted to be an ambassador to help represent the WVU School of Nursing Beckley Campus and to help pre-nursing students.
"I want to show them what it’s like to be a nursing student and help them stay on track mentally and emotionally while they strive for acceptance into the program," Ramsey said. "Making connections with them will help them feel more comfortable on their journey to nursing school."
Lyndsey Maiolo, of Beckley, wanted to become an ambassador to become more involved at the Beckley Campus and in the community.
"I chose nursing as my career path because I have a desire to help people and take care of them when they are in their most vulnerable state and hardest days of their lives," Maiolo said.
Meet Our Keyser Ambassador
Emily Kuykendall, of Moorefield, West Virginia, is a student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Her anticipated graduation date is May 2026.
"I applied to the nursing program because I wanted a career that would help me care for others but also allow me to experience a variety of specialties if I desired," Kuykendall said. "I love the lateral movement that a nursing career can provide because you are not stuck in one place!"
She wanted to become an ambassador because she felt she had a lot of knowledge and experience that she could pass along to other students.
"I also feel that I will be able to make a difference in the lives of current and future nursing students by providing them with a resource that can answer their questions about the program, working, commuting, etc."
She is a member of the Honors College, the HSC Student Advisory Board, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and a SOAR peer coach for 2024-25.