Lakeview Student, Faculty Member Receive DAISY Award
Lakeview College of Nursing (LCN) honored a student and a faculty member with a DAISY award during the College's fall Research Day. Paige Hennessy, an LCN student from Gibson City, IL, and Kristal Henry, an LCN faculty member from Danville, IL, were presented with the awards.
Hennessy, a student from the College's Danville location, was recognized for caring about others and prompting those she knows to get involved.
"When she sees or hears of someone struggling, her first thought is 'What can I do to help?' and then gets everyone else involved to help," according to Jessica Warren, an LCN student who nominated her for the award.
Warren explained that when a fellow classmate lost a loved one, Paige organized a collection for this student to provide comfort and financial relief. She also organized a birthday breakfast for one of her instructors and shared academic resources with her peers.
"Paige is one of those people who is always making others laugh and lifting up those around her. She is an amazing person and deserves this award," said Warren.
Henry, the faculty recipient of the DAISY award, has been a faculty member at Lakeview since 2022. The nomination for Henry described her as caring and empathetic and someone who puts others first.
"Kristal has demonstrated an exceptional ability to connect with students, creating a supportive and engaging learning environment," according to Gina Brassard, the LCN faculty member who nominated Henry for the award.
"Whether it's through meticulous guidance doing skills or thoughtful feedback on clinical performance, Kristal always ensures that the students are equipped with both the skills and confidence needed to excel in their nursing careers. When a student is struggling, she does not simply provide answers she takes the time to mentor the student through the process, encouraging critical thinking and providing emotional support. Her patience and understanding help the students grasp the clinical concepts and feel valued and empowered," said Brassard.
"Kristal's ability to inspire and elevate the next generation of nurses reflects the very essence of the DAISY Award's values," added Brassard.
Hennessy and Henry received a DAISY award certificate, pin, and a Healer's Touch sculpture.
Others nominated for the student award included Opeoluwa Babatunde of Matteson, IL, Toni Andres of Mattoon, IL, and Presley King of West Terre Haute, IN.
The other faculty nominees included the following: Debra Kamradt of Tolono, IL; Christina Smalley of Bismarck, IL; and Rita Wallace of Marshall, IL.
The DAISY Foundation is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of an auto-immune disease. Patrick's family was very touched by the remarkable compassion and clinical skill demonstrated by Patrick's nurses during his illness, so they created DAISY to recognize exceptional nurses everywhere. LCN has partnered with DAISY to present awards to extraordinary nursing students and faculty members.
More information about the DAISY award and LCN's online nomination form can be found at https://lcn.edu/daisy-award.
