By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Rhonda Rath Brenzikofer’s nursing career spanned more than 30 years.

Before that, she was a nurse’s aide. She loved caring for patients and wanted to become a licensed professional nurse.

“I wanted to be an LPN because a lot of times they got to do more patient care than the registered nurses did,” Brenzikofer said.

Now her love of, and dedication to, nursing has been commemorated by a $400,000 scholarship in her name established by her deceased brother, Evan C. Rath.

The scholarship will help Marion County nursing students attending Emporia State University.

If ESU doesn’t have enough nursing students from Marion County, students from other counties will be accepted, Brenzikofer said.

She and her brother grew up in Florence. Then he went to ESU and became a labor maintenance analyst for the state department of employment.

“Most of the time he worked in Topeka, but also Kansas City and Parsons,” Brenzikofer said. “I didn’t realize he was going to do this for nursing students in my honor because he knew I loved being a nurse so.”

Qualified first-time freshman pre-nursing students can be selected for a one-time award of $200.

In future years, ESU nursing students who qualify for renewable Presidential Scholarship are eligible for a scholarship package ranging from $2,800 to $5,600 per year.

The application deadline for a 2018-2019 scholarship is Feb. 16.