A philanthropist recently donated $1 million to the Western Thunder Marching Band and the Fey W. Whitney Nursing School.
On Jan. 27, Susie McMurry donated a total of $1 million to the Western Thunder Marching Band and Fey W. Whitney Nursing school. These funds will support new equipment purchases and graduate programs in both fields.
“This funding is going to secure the marching band for years to come,” Joseph Carver, Associate Director of WTMB, said. “One, we can offer the graduate experience to students who want to come here and pursue a Master, and two, give them that opportunity to serve in an assistant director role.”
Currently, the WTMB has two graduate student assistant directors: Amber Sturdevant and Conor Nolan.
“What Amber and I bring in our positions is not just experience, but stability and intent,” Nolan said. “We create longevity and an environment that is sustainable past our years.”
Nolan went on to explain that typically universities hire graduate assistants for jazz or concert programs, and as an afterthought, they are then given positions in the marching band.
“Most universities give out these kinds of opportunities specifically for our positions,” Nolan said. “We are very lucky to come here to do exactly what we want to do almost free of charge because of the McMurry Foundation and others.”
These assistant director positions move Sturdevant, Nolan, and future graduate students one step closer to achieving their Masters through both clerical work and hands-on experiences.
“From a teaching standpoint, this position does all of those things,” Sturdevant said. “I get to work with students in a live capacity, and I get to work with Dr. Carver to see how he is running things before I get a chance to do things on my own.”
Another portion of the donation is geared towards equipment for the band.
“New instruments help us look and sound better,” Sturdevant said. “When we sound better, you can hear notes, help students fine-tune those, and help them become better musicians.”
Joseph Carver hopes this donation will also bring awareness and student interest to the WTMB.
“I hope that we can continue to broadcast the great experience we have and offer in the band so we can continue to get more students involved,” Joseph Carver said.
“We are also looking to provide a great experience in terms of student travel for when the marching band gets those opportunities to leave Laramie for feature performances.”
The other beneficiary of the donation is the Fey W. Whitney School of Nursing.
“This money has been instrumental,” Sherill Smith, Dean of FWW, said. “One, in getting us a new mannequin that allows our students to practice here on campus, and two, in promoting our BRAND program.”
BRAND refers to the Bachelor’s Reach for Accelerated Nursing Degree.
The school intends on using the donation to secure new equipment like a Gaumard Health Simulator, a mannequin that can replicate severe medical situations.
“It can blink, it can have a heart rate, you change its vital signs,” Smith said. “This allows students to make mistakes in a safe environment.”
The other focus of the donation is the BRAND program, a 15-month learning experience which combines online learning and hands-on courses through local clinics.
“The goal is that BRAND caters to students who like where they are,” Smith said. “Once they graduate they really hit the ground running, which is something we need right now.”
Smith said Wyoming is no exception in seeing a dramatic loss in the health care workforce.
“Nurses are burned out, joining travel agencies, so our hospitals love our BRAND students,” Smith said. “They come with experience.”
The gift from the McMurry Foundation will also be split between scholarship funds, providing supplies and transportation, and, most critically, connections with other agencies.
“We might also be able to use this money to work with hospitals across the state to develop new clinical practice partnerships to support those BRAND students,” Smith said.
Smith explained that competition for clinical partnerships is an issue in the southeastern part of Wyoming.
Still, programs like BRAND allow students to stay local for their education or practice.
“It’s a great rural education program for rural healthcare,” Dawn Carver, Senior Project Coordinator for F.W.W., said. “A lot of people who are going to take this program are going to work where their clinical experiences can be spread throughout the state.”
Carver goes on to explain that new national standards for curriculum have made the traditional nursing program and the BRAND program almost identical.
“We have streamlined courses, but this is the first year we start with the new curriculum,” Carver said. “It’s been a challenge, but our program takes a different kind of student, a dedicated student.”
