From one generation of nurses to another, a newly established scholarship honoring Sally Porcarelli is helping Flathead Valley Community College nursing students attain their degrees.  

Sally Porcarelli, a former First Lady of Whitefish, died last year at the age of 90. She was known for her leadership with Soroptimist International of Whitefish and was a dedicated nurse at North Valley Hospital.  

The word “soroptimist” is derived from “sister” and “optimist,” and true to that meaning, Porcarelli’s daughter, Patty Markuson, knew that a Soroptimist scholarship supporting hard-working women would by the best way to honor her mother.  

This year, FVCC nursing student Sara Sheedy was selected by a FVCC financial aid committee as the second-ever recipient of the Sally Porcarelli Soroptimist Education Scholarship. 

Sheedy is set to graduate from FVCC’s Associate of Science Nursing program in December.  

Sheedy moved from Maryland to Montana in 2017. She’s slowly chipped away at the prerequisites to be successful, working in the health care industry for about 15 years. But it wasn’t until she moved to the valley that she felt she could pursue a higher degree.  

“Moving here, I felt more in tune with myself, and could focus on advancing my career,” Sheedy said.  

The best part of school has been the learning experience and becoming more confident in her ability to help people, she said.  

“With a degree, I can do more hands-on things – I can start IVs, I can manage medications, I can read a patient’s chart and know what steps to take. An RN role holds you to a higher standard, and it opens up what I’m able to do with patients, to help improve their outcomes.” 

Sheedy currently works as a medical assistant at a Logan Health cardiology clinic.  

“Prior to starting the program, I was told by an advisor to throw work on the window ... but you know how the valley is,” she said. “Financially, it’s been up and down. The financial aid department and scholarships have made a tremendous difference in that, I know if I can’t meet 40 hours in a week, it gives a little cushion.” 

Patty Markuson, like her mom Sally, was also a nurse, and can draw a few parallels to Sheedy’s nursing school experience.  

“I was poor,” she said with a smile. “And I learned about an associate’s program in Havre, and I thought, I could do this. So, I recruited another girlfriend, also named Patti, and we chucked along to Havre.” 

Markuson remembers moving around the state to do rotations while in nursing school.  

“It was the fullest learning experience I had, and an impactful time,” she said, adding that there was no shortage of fun, too.  

“We’d take our books and pretend to watch the boys play baseball in Butte,” she said.  

The opportunities for nursing school have changed over the years, both Markuson and Sheedy agreed.  

Sheedy, unlike Markuson, completed all her schooling in the Flathead Valley, and said the proximity has been a fundamental part of her success in the nursing school program.  

She’s also been engaged with her classmates and the community, by helping to put on events such as CycleMT, a stationary bike relay that supports patients across the state that have financial hardships.  

While not sure where life will lead her after graduation, Sheedy said she has her sights set on being a member of the ALERT flight crew.  

“Your belief in my potential means so much,” Sheedy wrote in a thank you letter to Markuson. “Your support allows me to focus on becoming the compassionate nurse I aspire to be.”