Clarion Hospital Foundation awards $9,000 in scholarships to local students pursuing health care careers

CLARION, Pa., June 1, 2026 — The Independence Health System Clarion Hospital Foundation recently awarded $9,000 in scholarships to nine Clarion County high school graduates pursuing careers in health care. Each scholarship was valued at $1,000.

Funded through donor contributions, the scholarships help support the next generation of caregivers. Recipients were selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular involvement and interest in health care. By investing in students who are pursuing health care careers, the Clarion Hospital Foundation is helping strengthen the future health care workforce in Clarion County and the surrounding region.

This year’s recipients and their postsecondary plans are:

Nolan Barnett received the John E. Brooks Memorial Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of Redbank Valley High School, he plans to attend Messiah University to prepare for a career as a physician. Barnett was a member of the National Honor Society, activities coordinator for the Redbank Valley Outdoors Club and president of the 4-H Country Kidz Club.

Adyson Bond received a Joseph and Helen Miller Memorial Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of Redbank Valley High School, she plans to attend Saint Vincent College to pursue a nursing career. Bond was a member of the National Honor Society, serving as president during her senior year, and vice president of the senior class. She was also a member of the Outdoors Club and Student Council, editor of the Yearbook Club and an active participant in basketball, AAU basketball and volleyball. Bond also volunteered as a youth sports referee and participated in Wreaths Across America and the Veterans Annual Pheasant Hunt.

Katherine Burrows received a Joseph and Helen Miller Memorial Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of Keystone Jr./Sr. High School, she plans to attend PennWest Clarion University to prepare for a career as a medical technician. Burrows was a member of the National Honor Society, the school record holder for digs in volleyball and a third-team Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference (KSAC) all-star. She was also a member of the STEM Group, advancing to the state competition after her team placed first at regionals, and a volunteer with the Venango County Fair.

Alivia Diehl received a Fran Shope Memorial Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of Clarion Area High School, she plans to attend Elizabethtown College to prepare for a career as a physician assistant. Diehl was a member of the National Honor Society, vice president of Student Council, captain of the varsity volleyball and girls’ basketball teams, president of her junior class and a cast member in the school musical, Bye Bye Birdie. Diehl also volunteered through her church nursery and children’s church, supported youth sports and participated in a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

Grace Flick received a Fran Shope Memorial Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of North Clarion High School, she plans to attend PennWest Clarion University to pursue a nursing career. Flick was a member of the National Honor Society and president of the 4-H Club for four years.

Brianna Anthony received a Stroup Family Nursing Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of Union High School, she plans to attend PennWest Clarion University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Anthony served as president of the National Honor Society and Prom Committee and participated in volleyball and softball.

Rhiannon Copenhaver received a Stroup Family Nursing Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of Clarion Area High School, she plans to attend PennWest Clarion University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Copenhaver was a member of the National Honor Society, Art History Club and Yearbook Club, and also played volleyball.

Aidan Faust received a Stroup Family Nursing Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of East Forest High School, he plans to attend PennWest Clarion University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Faust was a member of the National Honor Society and received the President’s Academic Award and the Leave Your Mark Award. He also participated in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

Jayden McKeel received a Stroup Family Nursing Scholarship. A 2026 graduate of West Forest High School, she plans to attend PennWest Clarion University to pursue an Associate of Science in nursing. McKeel was a member of the National Honor Society, and served as secretary of the Student Council, Student Historian group, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

-30-

Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprises Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925. With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 7,000 employees, the System is the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning a multi-county region. 

The System includes tertiary programs rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery, earning accolades from a number of prestigious outlets and organizations. Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services. Learn more at www.independence.health.