Mankato Clinic Foundation Awards Scholarships to Children of Employees

• 

• 

• 

Scholarship honors Nancy Lee Pfeifer, RT (R) (M), longtime Mankato Clinic employee

Thursday, August 26, 2021

MANKATO (August 26, 2021) — The Mankato Clinic Foundation awarded three $1,000 Nancy Pfeifer Scholarships to children of Mankato Clinic employees who are pursuing an education in the healthcare field. This year’s scholarship recipients are:

• Joseph Bennett of Vernon Center. Joe, son of Wendy Bennett, phlebotomist, Mankato Clinic lab, is enrolled in biology at St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn. He plans to become a physical therapist.
• Juan Berrones of North Mankato. Juan, son of Maria Berrones, clinical assistant, Mankato Clinic Diagnostic Imaging, is enrolled in physiology at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He is working as a certified nursing assistant with plans to attend medical school.  
• Abby Riesgraf of Mankato. Abby, daughter of Tiffany Riesgraf, RN, Mankato Clinic Cardiology, is enrolled in the pharmacy program at South Dakota State University, Brookings.

The Mankato Clinic Foundation created the Nancy Pfeifer Scholarship to honor Nancy Lee Pfeifer, RT(R)(M), longtime Mankato Clinic employee. A major contributor to the fund, Pfeifer is joined by several employees and physicians who donate to the scholarship fund. Since 2013, the Nancy Pfeifer Scholarship Fund has granted $12,500 in scholarships. 

As a registered radiologic technologist credentialed in mammography, Pfeifer was director of diagnostic imaging when she retired from the Mankato Clinic in 2016 after 51 years of service. Pfeifer is known for her patient care principle: “The Patient Always Comes First.” To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must write a 750-1,000-word essay answering the question: How will you make sure the patient always comes first in the field of study you have chosen? 

“I was proud to spend my career at the Mankato Clinic. Mankato Clinic continues to focus on the patient and provide exceptional care,” Pfeifer said. “It’s inspiring to see how young people preparing for a healthcare career reflect on how they will put the patient first.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant must be the child of a Mankato Clinic employee, completed one year of education after high school and attending an accredited program or facility in the healthcare field.

With a competitive benefits package to support all employees, Mankato Clinic creates a culture where employees are valued, respected and recognized. The Nancy Pfeifer Scholarship is one example of how Mankato Clinic supports employees, their families and healthcare education.

About the Mankato Clinic Foundation

A small, dedicated group of physicians started the Mankato Clinic Foundation in 1965, making it one of the oldest foundations in Minnesota. Since that time, the foundation has expanded its reach by supporting community health events and offering educational health-related programs to the community. The foundation receives the majority of its funding from Mankato Clinic physicians, along with giving by Mankato Clinic staff and the greater Mankato community.