Mendez, a 17-year-old graduate of the Class of 2020 at Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover, plans to study nursing at Rivier University in Nashua this fall.
“This scholarship from Home Health VNA is a big help and I’m very grateful,” said the Lawrence resident, a self-described “people person” who developed an interest in helping others while volunteering at a homework center in Methuen when she was younger and at Nevins Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Methuen last year.
“Going into the nursing profession is an honor. I just love it,” Mendez added. “I can’t wait to take care of patients and their families.”
Lindsay Gangi, lead instructor for the medical assisting department at Greater Lawrence Technical School, called Mendez “one of my best students.”
“Fleiry excelled academically right from the beginning, but she’s also a kind and all-around good kid who is a natural helper,” Gangi said. “Her personality is a perfect fit for the field. She’ll be a great nurse.”
At Greater Lawrence Technical School, Mendez volunteered as a freshman mentor on her way to achieving a 4.3 GPA and becoming a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, Mendez was one of the first students to earn a place in the school’s cooperative education program. She worked for Dr. Paul Meyers at Meyers Chiropractic Clinic in Lawrence, where she prepared patients for their appointments, translated for native Spanish speakers and helped with paperwork.
“I’m thrilled to present this scholarship to a candidate who is as dedicated and overall thoroughly deserving as Fleiry,” said Karen Gomes, RN, MS, CPHQ, president and chief executive officer of Home Health Foundation, of which Home Health VNA is a member agency. “I still think back to so many patients and families who touched my life and shaped my 30-year career in nursing. When she’s ready, I hope Fleiry will consider a career in home care or hospice and that she finds the experience as rewarding as I have.”
About Home Health Foundation
Home Health Foundation, which includes providers Circle Home, Hallmark Health VNA, Home Health VNA, Home Health VNA of NH, Merrimack Valley Hospice and York Hospital Hospice as part of the Wellforce Health System, provides essential home health and hospice care in all the places patients call home. Together, these agencies are leading the development of a new era of innovation, with a relentless focus on transforming home-based care.
