BROOKINGS — Brookings Health System awarded Inspiring Health Sponsorships to two recent post-secondary graduates, Kaylei Ross and Elizabeth Hansen.

The Inspiring Health Sponsorship Program provides financial resources for students who commit to a professional career at Brookings Health System. The sponsorship is a loan forgiveness program that forgives the sponsorship amount over a three-year period. Applicants must currently be enrolled in an accredited health occupation program and in good academic standing. They must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Ross is a 2023 South Dakota State University nursing graduate from Huron. She has accepted a position as a floor nurse at Brookings Hospital’s inpatient care unit where she also performed her clinical rotation as a part of her education. She aspires to become an emergency nurse and a nurse manager.

Her previous medical experience includes working at ADVANCE as a direct support professional and at Huron Regional Medical Center as a nursing assistant.

Hansen, a native of Wilmot, graduated this spring from South Dakota State’s respiratory care program offered by the College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions. She will work as a respiratory therapist at Brookings Health.

One of her passions includes educating people on managing their respiratory conditions, especially parents of children. Hansen also holds an associate degree as a medical administrative assistant from National American University, Rapid City, and has worked in Brookings Health’s emergency room as a health unit coordinator since 2021.

Individuals who want to join Brookings Health System’s Top 20 Rural Community Hospital team can find a position right for them at brookingshealth.org/Careers.