Dolores V. Barbera

Dolores Barbera's endowed scholarship at SMU helps Nursing students pursue their dreams

Dolores Barbera always wanted to be a nurse but didn't have the opportunity to attend nursing school as she had to work and earn money. Because of this experience, Dolores established the Dolores V. Barbera Endowed Nursing Scholarship in 2003 through her revocable trust in her estate plans. Endowed scholarships are permanent — they support students in perpetuity. Through careful endowment management, the Barbera Scholarship fund has more than doubled in size, and a total of 154 students have received scholarships so far. Every year, a "payout" from the fund is available to support undergraduate and graduate Nursing students at Samuel Merritt University, as Mrs. Barbera planned. For each of the recipients, the financial support is very significant.

Linda Larkin, the trustee of the Barbera Trust, shared that Dolores was raised in Oakland and "wanted to leave a lasting legacy to help nursing students realize their dreams to become nurses." At the end of her life, Dolores received excellent care from her nurses, which solidified her desire to support nursing students.

Here are just two stories from the 154 students who have been supported by Dolores Barbera's generosity over the decades:

From Candy Striper to Burn and Wound Care Nursing

Charla McPherson-Wallace,
BSN '06

It's been nearly 20 years since Charla McPherson-Wallace received a Barbera Scholarship. Since graduating in 2005, she has proudly used her skills to help babies, children, youth, and their families in NICUs and Kaiser Permanente's pediatric subspecialty unit. She currently works in burn and wound care nursing and instructs Dominican University students as an adjunct clinical instructor. Charla had several different jobs in healthcare before applying to SMU. She volunteered as a candy striper at age 12, and later held various administrative roles. She was inspired by her mother and sister, who were both nurses, and dedicated her education to her grandmother. She remembers, "It was a challenge to balance my studies with being a married mom of three young kids, but I was motivated to get it done and help my family." Three of her children were born at Samuel Merritt Hospital and she appreciated the college's integrated liberal arts and nursing program. Charla remains grateful "for the opportunity to go back to school and for the people who supported me along the way."

Passionate About Serving the Community

As a child in Richmond, California, Esmeralda wondered why she saw so many ill people, often living with chronic pain, when a Kaiser Permanente Hospital was nearby. While studying Nursing at SMU her observation began to make sense as she learned about the social determinants of health and their influence on a person's perception of their own health. Reflecting on her Barbera scholarship, Esmeralda shared, "Receiving this scholarship is monumental because it makes me feel like all my dedication, effort, and financial struggles are recognized by someone who sees my ability to succeed. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to pursue studies in a subject and career I am truly passionate about. This support helps me continue to live this dream. I can now focus all my attention into my academics." Esmeralda embarked on a journey beyond California and is currently thriving as a post-partum nurse in Ridgewood, New Jersey.