PA College Magazine - Spring 2021 - 4

ON
TEACHING
THE
PULSE
& LEARNING
2020-21 Eastwood Family
Endowed Nursing Scholarship
Recipients
LILLIE CURTIS '23
Three-Year Bachelor
of Science in Nursing
program
" I thought I might
want to be a nurse
when I was in high
school, but I was scared that it would
be too hard, so I pursued a different
path. When I lost my job due to
the pandemic, I was not sure what I
wanted to do. I saw the hard work and
the compassion that frontline workers
displayed, and I wanted to be a part of
that. I want to be proud to tell people
that I am a nurse and that I help and
care for people.

James Eastwood with 2018-19 Eastwood Family Scholarship Recipient Madison Leakway

DONOR PROFILE

A Long Commitment to Generosity
James Eastwood grew up in South
Philadelphia and attended Villanova
University on a partial Naval Reserve
Officers Training Corps scholarship,
graduating in 1968 with a degree in
civil engineering. After four years
of active service, including a tour in
Vietnam, he joined the Navy Reserves,
retiring as a Two-Star Admiral in 2001
after 32 years of service. Eastwood
married the former Linda DeFrancesco
shortly after his return from Vietnam.
After working for a time as a fashion
model in New York, Linda devoted
herself to raising the family's three
children, Erica, Jimmy and Brooke.
In his civilian career, Eastwood worked
for, and later acquired, a company that
designed and built hospitals and other
medical facilities throughout the eastern

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PACOLLEGE.EDU

United States. His firm was hired as
part of the College's new campus
project in 2015-16. Inspired by James'
respect for the leadership and vision
of President Mary Grace Simcox
and former Trustee Ken Stoudt, and
thanks to the Eastwood family's
commitment to supporting educational
opportunities in nursing, the Eastwoods
established a current-use scholarship
fund for nursing students through PA
College's Building Futures campaign.
With their generous continual giving,
the Eastwoods converted the fund
to an endowed scholarship in 2020.
Through this fund, the family seeks to
encourage the success of PA College
nursing students who are entering
a profession the Eastwoods deeply
admire.

" As someone who has already pursued
higher education, I was not sure if
I wanted to take on more debt. But I
know it will be worth it in the end and
so I went for it! Having the Eastwood
family invest in me and my goals
through this scholarship is a great feeling
and will lift some of that burden. "
TAYLOR FRENCH '22
ASN to BSN program
" My favorite clinical
placement so far
has been on the
medical-surgical unit
at WellSpan Good
Samaritan Hospital. I learned so much
from the patients, nurses and staff. Each
day I was caring for a patient with a
different condition and felt as though I
was constantly learning something new.
" Receiving the Eastwood Family
Scholarship again this year has meant
everything to me and my family. This
scholarship not only helped with
my tuition bill, but also gave me a
better chance at reaching my goals.
In December, when I earned my
associate degree, I became the first
member of my family to graduate from
college. " n
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PA College Magazine - Spring 2021

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