Spoon River College nursing student Mary Popoola of Macomb has been awarded the Bonnie Stine Spoon River College Faculty Association (SRCFA) Scholarship in the amount of $500 for the 2025-2026 academic year.
A native of Nigeria, Popoola is a graduate of Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, where she was in the top 5% of her class. She is starting her second year in the nursing program, and is excited about getting closer to the next chapter of her life.
“Spoon River College feels like the perfect place and fits with my dreams for the future of supporting my family and helping my community. I plan to work right here, and love the idea of taking care of my neighbors and making a real difference right where I live,” Popoola said.
Popoola serves as the Student Representative on the Health Occupations Advisory Committee (HOAC) at the college, and is also a member of the Healthcare Enthusiast and Leaders (HEAL) Student Association, which provides support, networking, shadowing and service-learning opportunities for nursing students. She volunteers at Shepherds Gate Foursquare Church.
Popoola said that completing nursing school was more than just getting a degree. “It is about changing my life from a homemaker to a healthcare pro. I want to be the kind of nurse who not only knows her stuff but also makes everyone feel better just by being there.”
The Bonnie Stine SRCFA Scholarship was previously known as the Spoon River College Faculty Association Scholarship. In 2013, faculty voted to rename it to recognize Stine’s role in establishing the original SRCFA Scholarship. Stine taught at the College for 31 years before retiring in 2008.
