Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome to In Their Words, a podcast brought to you by UPMC and Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. One of the three pillars of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation is workforce development, an investment in building a strong, resilient, and compassionate healthcare team for our community.

Through scholarship programs, they support the growth of future providers and leaders across UPMC and Central PA. Today, we're sharing the story of one such recipient, Sasha, whose dedication to mental health care and perseverance through her educational journey embodies the spirit of this mission. This is Sasha's story in her own words.

Sasha Shenck: So, my name is Sasha Shenck. I am currently a weekend administrator on duty at primarily Harrisburg Hospital. Back in 2023, I had started my master's program for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner through Wilkes University. And I had decided to take that route after seeing the effects that COVID had on everybody's mental health and just the lack of resources and the need for more providers in the mental health field.

When I started the program, it had always been my intention to pay out-of-pocket to self-fund. I never wanted to take student loans. And I had been able, fortunately, to put some money away. I had used the tuition reimbursement through UPMC. But at that time, I had happened to be a nurse educator. I had had to step away from the bedside role again. COVID took its toll. And I was a nurse educator and I had learned about the scholarships and the opportunities through the foundation, because I was finding out this information for other students, for my PCTs, and my nursing students on the floor.

And then, I realized that I could apply for one as well. So, I looked through the scholarships. And honestly, it couldn't have been easier, just the way that it's laid out on the website to just upload all your information, you get a letter of recommendation and then submit. And I think I had found out in June that I had been awarded a scholarship. And I put it out there too, I don't think, need-wise, that I didn't have any great need, but certainly, you know, a couple thousand dollars would certainly help out, especially given I have a son who's entering college age. So, that's kind of how that had happened.

Then, in May of 2025, I graduated from Wilkes University with my psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. The years are all blurring together now. So actually, in 2023 as well, so after, I think, I had applied maybe for my initial one, my friend Jill Staub was killed tragically. And immediately, the foundation had started a scholarship, had developed a scholarship in her name and in her memory. And I had already been familiar with the foundation. But the fact that they started that scholarship right away meant a lot to me and I know to all the people who worked with her over the years.

Host: Moments like this remind us that our work is not only about supporting education, but also about honoring legacies. When a scholarship is created in memory of someone beloved, their passion for care continues to live on through the next generation of providers.

Sasha Shenck: I never intended to get into the mental health field initially. I had never intended to go back for a higher degree. One of my managers previously had really had to push me to go back to school and get my bachelor's. It never made sense to me to go back to school for a degree or to go back to school for a job I'd already had. And as time passed, I got my bachelor's degree in 2017 maybe. And then, going back to school for my master's, it kind of grown on me. Again, I wasn't going to do it unless I could pay for it myself, I didn't take out any loans.

And I started thinking about it in probably 2021, you know, and just started gathering some information, looking at the different programs, seeing how much it would cost, talking to some different providers, seeing what programs people were having success with. And I don't know what made me eventually pull the trigger on that. At some point, I was talking to somebody about the time it would take. I think I could do it, but it's going to take a while. And they said to me that the time was going to pass anyway. So two years could go by and I could have my degree or two years could go by and I'd be doing the same thing I do. I was like, "Okay, yeah, you're right." Like, "Okay." And then, I just kind of decided to go for it. Again, everything just kind of fell into place. And UPMC just has a lot of different opportunities in the way that different nursing jobs are structured.

I was initially in education. I was working 40 hours a week as a nurse educator, and I was able to do that for about the first year of my degree program. And then, I moved back into what's called the administrator-on-duty role, or nursing supervisor role. They had a weekend program that I could work just weekends. I would get full-time tuition reimbursement, full-time benefits, but only have to work 24 hours a week on the weekends. So, that opened up my week to be able to do the clinical work that I needed. And I had the opportunity to do a clinical rotation through one of the state correctional institutions in Frackville.

And then, I also had an opportunity to be with one of our nurse practitioners or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners at UPMC, Harrisburg, which is ultimately where I would like to be as I start my career as a nurse practitioner. So, that was a great opportunity and Wilkes has a good program, and a lot of help along the way. But the tuition reimbursement and the scholarships was a big part of making that happen.

Host: Scholarships also open doors to unique learning opportunities, rotations and experiences that shape providers to meet patients where they are. For Sasha, that meant working in both correctional facilities and within UPMC, Harrisburg, preparing her to serve diverse populations.

Sasha Shenck: So, I went up there, traveled to Frackville four days a week. It was interesting. I mean, it's a lot of same demographic. You're only seeing male patients between the ages generally of like 20-- I'd say the age was like 20 to maybe mid-40s, early 50s. But you get to hear a lot of life stories that, you know, kind of how they wound up there and what's going on. You do see a lot of personality disorders there. But you see a lot of kind of similar stories of how people get to where they're at. You know, the kinds of childhoods they had, what the things that they were exposed to, and how that kind of shaped them into the person that they were.

There's a lot of people up there that had recognized what they did and their wrongs and they were trying to improve themselves. It was always nice to talk to the people that were getting out and what they had planned. There's a lot of different things and programs they have at the prisons. They did have the Dogs in Prison Program up there. So, my when I saw the dogs up there the first time, I was like, "I got to pet one of those dogs." And one day I did got to pet one of the dogs. They brought them through the office. But it was fine, it was interesting.

A couple of people would ask, "Were you scared? Are you safe up there?" Honestly, like, as sad as it may sound, I felt very safe in the prison. I felt safer in the prison sometimes than I did at the bedside sometimes. And that's the first thing. When we have some violent patients or patients that look like they may become violent or have a history of violence, I'll ask the nurse, "Where are your dress badges? Where's your panic button? Make sure that you have it on. Do not go into the room alone. Do not stay within arm's distance. Make sure you're between the patient and the door."

 My mom was a nurse, and I didn't think I was going to be a teacher. In fact, I went two years to college. First two years that I spent in college, I went to IEP for a semester, didn't work out. I went to HACC for a semester or two. And I was maybe about 20. And I left, I think I withdrew from classes and I had a little mini B in the HACC parking lot. And I was like, "I don't want to be a teacher, I don't want to do this." And I called my mom crying. She's like, "Get a job at the hospital." So, I applied to get a job there. And I started up on North 10 in Harrisburg Hospital. I started in October 2001. And immediately, on my first shift there, I was like, "I'd love this. This is where I'm supposed to be," and started taking classes at HACC towards my nursing degree and graduated HACC in May 2005.

Host: What Sasha shares here captures the heart of our mission that, with determination and the right support, anyone can take that next step in their career. Behind every scholarship is not just financial assistance, but a community cheering you on.

Sasha Shenck: You can always go back to the position that you're in right now. But like you said, that was the big decider for me when somebody just said the time's going to pass anyway. And I won't lie when I say it was hard work and there were things that I had to miss out on. But that time goes so quick. And I am so glad that I did it, and stuck with it. I had every opportunity to use life as an excuse to not go back and to not do it. But I knew I could always go back to what I was doing. I still liked it. I liked the job that I had. I could just sit here and do what I'm doing now. And I certainly wouldn't be bad, because I enjoy what I do, but putting forth that effort and the support you get when you tell people that you're going back to school. And initially, I didn't tell too many people, because what if I fail? What if it doesn't work? And I have to tell people that. I don't want to do that. But the support that you get from the system, from your friends, at work, your coworkers, everybody asking, "How's school going? What are you doing?" You know, "Where are you going to go for clinicals and what's going to happen with this?" The support that I see for all of our staff that's going back to school is tremendous.

And certainly, I know, at UPMC, Harrisburg, every manager, every leader I've had has been so supportive in that journey, you know, back to school. The support is there. The benefits are there. There's so many opportunities to get assistance with tuition, to apply for these scholarships. The one thing I really like is that you don't have to apply for every different scholarship that you can put in, that a lot of the requirements are the same, that you have to submit your letter or, you know, kind of your reason why and then, the letter of recommendation. And once that's in that portal, that's it-- you applied. So, you don't have to apply for each one individually or ones that you think you might be considered for. So, always apply. Just take that shot. The answer will never be absolutely don't try.

Host: This generosity shows the ripple effect of care. Patients and families who feel the impact of UPMC are often inspired to give back, creating opportunities that fuel the very scholarships and programs that strengthen our workforce.

Sasha Shenck: Well, and also, I just want to say, one, of course, I appreciate everything the foundation does for our staff. My dad, he had passed away in January 2023. But before he did, he had actually inherited some money from his mother, my grandmother. And he had talked to me about giving back and he wanted to be able to help in some way. And I was like, "Ah." Because he had been the recipient of some charity care and it didn't sit right with him if he had inherited this money, money that like he hadn't seen before. And he's like, "UPMC has treated me well. I have to give back." He said, "I heard about this foundation." And as soon as he said, "It's the Pinnacle Foundation." I said, "Oh, okay. Yes, please do. That is fine. I am completely okay with it." And then, I knew, I was like, wow, the money that he's giving to the foundation, I know that it's going to go to a good cause. And I know everything you guys put your fingers on or you touch turns out. It's a a huge benefit to the community that everything stays local here and it means a lot. Thank you. I thank the foundation for everything you guys do, you know, I've seen it both ends, so recipients, obviously, I myself included with the scholarship.

Host: Thank you for joining us on this episode of In Their Words. Stories like Sasha's remind us that behind every scholarship is the power to change lives, both for the providers who receive them and for the countless patients they go on to serve.

By investing in education and development, the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation helps ensure compassionate skilled care for our communities across UPMC and Central PA. To learn more about how you can support these initiatives, visit upmcpinnaclefoundation.org. As always, thanks for listening to these inspiring stories in their words.