Nursing Student, Mother Of 2 Awarded Scholarship To Pursue New Career

LUTZ, FL — Letissa Gueits Carbone, a team member at St. Joseph's Hospital-North and part of BayCare’s student nursing program, is the recipient of $2,500 nursing scholarship through the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation and the Adcock Financial Group.

Carbone, from Wesley Chapel, is studying at St. Pete College to become a registered nurse. She formerly worked in the hospital's admitting and registration department, but is now in a nursing apprentice position as she transitions into her nursing career.

Carbone was surprised with an oversized check during a presentation in the admitting and registration department before team members and colleagues.

“I had that deer in the headlights look on my face when it happened,” Carbone said. “I had no clue.”

Carbone, who’s been with BayCare for five years, previously worked in food and nutrition services at St. Joseph’s Hospital's main campus in Tampa before coming to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North about 2 1/2 years ago to work as a registrar.

Carbone described her motivation for wanting to become a nurse: “I want to do something that’s important and means something. Being a nurse is rewarding and relevant. I have aging parents too, and I want to be in a position where I can help take care of them and other people."

Carbone said the scholarship will help out as she balances working, going to school and raising two children.

“I really didn’t know how much it (the scholarship) was going to be for,” Carbone said. “That really wasn’t the point when I applied for it. BayCare has (scholarship) resources that are available if you look for them. Mostly, I will use it for kids' stuff. It’ll help support me and them when I’m in school when I can’t work as much as I’d like to.”