A Heart for Healing: From Scholarship to Service

Mireya Swanson, a 24-year-old nurse at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, used a Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary scholarship to pursue her medical career. Swanson works in the ICU Step-Down Unit alongside colleagues Danny Gramatikov and Pheba Benson.

Patricia Kerz, BVM, sponsored Swanson's scholarship application after observing her care for children at church and within her family. Kerz noted that Swanson's interest in service likely stems from her mother, Griselda, who volunteered at the Blessed Sacrament Parish food pantry in Chicago. Swanson began developing caregiving skills as a teenager while managing the medical needs of her niece, Joanna.