The Outstanding Young Nurse Alumna Award is presented to Christina Storch. Christina graduated from the College of Nursing in May 2020. Due to the pandemic, she missed an official graduation and began working at Prisma Health in Greenville, SC, from July 2020 to December 2022 on the intermediate pulmonary floor, which became a COVID unit before she transitioned to pediatrics.

In January 2023, Christina began travel nursing, with her first assignment at Mary Bridge Children’s within the med-surge unit in Tacoma, WA, allowing her to explore parts of Washington and Canada. Her next assignment, from May to December 2023, was at Levine Children’s Cardiac Unit in Charlotte, NC.

In January 2024, she moved to Oklahoma City for a pediatric med-surge assignment at the University of Oklahoma Hospital. After completing it in March, she joined AnMed in Anderson, SC, where she currently works. Christina enjoys the travel nurse lifestyle, exploring new states, and has earned Star Awards at both Prisma Health and AnMed.

Outstanding Nurse Alumna Award:

The Outstanding Nurse Alumna Award is presented to Mary Kennedy. Mary is an instructor in the School of Nursing at the University of South Carolina Aiken, bringing 30 years of experience since graduating from USC Columbia in 1994. The relationships she built in nursing school have significantly influenced her personal and professional life.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary relocated to help a community with its testing efforts, dedicating a year to pandemic response, which she describes as one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.

After earning her MSN in 2022, Mary found her passion in teaching. Throughout her career, she’s worked with many inspiring nurses who have shaped her journey. Recently, the class of May 2024 honored her with the Lamp of Learning Award, which strengthened her commitment to supporting students. Mary believes nursing is the best profession and deeply respects its practice.

Outstanding Legacy Nurse Alumna Award:

The Outstanding Legacy Nurse Alumni Award is presented to Stephanie Burgess. Dr. Burgess is a certified family nurse practitioner and retired distinguished clinical professor emeritus at the USC College of Nursing, where she earned her BSN, MSN, and PhD. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, she has also held leadership roles, including as chair of the Richland Two School Board, past president of the South Carolina Nurses Association, and current VP for the Coalition for Access to Health Care.

Dr. Burgess has received numerous honors, such as the SC Nurse Practitioner of the Year and the Palmetto Gold Award. Her contributions to health policy have driven major reforms, including over ten legislative changes in APRN practice, the establishment of 20 nurse-led practices, and 19 payer policy changes—saving SC over $100 million and enhancing access to primary care.

Her model of health policy reform has earned national and state recognition from organizations like the American Nurses Association and AARP. Dr. Burgess currently practices with SC House Calls, SC Department of Mental Health, and Prisma Baptist.