Jen Hamilton personally selected three scholarship recipients from more than 500 student essays focused on compassion and the human side of nursing

PHOENIX, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona College of Nursing (AZCN) announced today the recipients of its 2026 Jen Hamilton Scholarships, awarding $5,000 each to three nursing students whose stories demonstrated the role compassion can play in patient care.

More than 500 Arizona College of Nursing students submitted essays for consideration sharing how compassion will influence the nurse they hope to become. Following an initial review of the submissions, labor and delivery nurse, content creator and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jen Hamilton personally selected the three scholarship recipients: Jennifer Henry, at AZCN's Tempe campus, Joanna Kamanzi, at AZCN's Dallas campus, and Vanessa Rincon-Flores, at AZCN's Fort Worth campus.

"Jennifer, Joanna and Vanessa represent the sense of purpose and compassion we see in students across Arizona College of Nursing," said Jason E. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of AZCN. "Preparing the next generation of nurses requires more than helping students develop clinical knowledge and skills. It also means reinforcing the humanity at the heart of nursing. We are proud to recognize these students and invest in their education as they prepare to care for patients and communities."

A Commitment to Compassionate Nursing Care

For scholarship recipient Jennifer Henry, compassion means recognizing when care requires something beyond a clinical task. In her scholarship essay, Henry described supporting a dying patient who was alone and choosing to sit beside the patient during those final moments.

"I carry that night with me. I want to be the nurse who notices when a patient is scared and sits down instead of rushing out," Henry wrote. "I want to be the nurse who understands that sometimes the most meaningful care happens in silence. And I want to be the nurse who honors every patient's humanity, especially in their most vulnerable moments."

The scholarships build on Hamilton's relationship with Arizona College of Nursing and its students. In May 2026, Hamilton joined AZCN for its first cross-campus student livestream, where students from across the College submitted more than 100 questions about nursing school, patient advocacy, confidence and building a fulfilling career in nursing.

During the conversation, Hamilton encouraged nursing students to give themselves the opportunity to develop confidence through experience rather than expecting perfection from the beginning.

"I think one of the worst things you could do is expect perfection of yourself right away," Hamilton told students. "Confidence doesn't come right away. It comes when you prove to yourself that you can do it."

Arizona College of Nursing

Arizona College of Nursing's purpose is to provide people the opportunity to enhance their lives through education. Arizona College of Nursing offers a three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The BSN program is offered at 24 campuses across 15 states and is designed to prepare students for a career as a Registered Nurse (RN). Arizona College of Nursing campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), a U.S. Department of Education-recognized national accrediting agency.

About Jen Hamilton

Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse who has a social media following of over 4 million unique users and the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Birth Vibes. She has been both an ER and obstetrics nurse for over a decade, and most of that has been at the bedside caring for families welcoming babies into the world. Jen has been featured in media outlets such as CNN, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Daily Mail, The New York Post, and more. Jen also founded Hot Mess Express, a non-profit that offers free house cleaning and organizing for overwhelmed low-income parents.

For more information, please visit jenhamilton.co

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SOURCE Arizona College of Nursing