GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA-- Hannah Fitch, of Phoenixville, was awarded the Independence Blue Cross Scholars Scholarship from Gwynedd-Mercy College during a ceremony on Oct. 26.

The scholarship is funded through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation. It is awarded to students in the Master of Science in Nursing program who intend to become educators in the field of nursing and who excel academically. It is aimed at combating the critical shortage of nursing faculty in Southeastern Pa.

Fitch is currently a staff nurse at Albert Einstein Medical Center and is studying to become an adult nurse practitioner at GMC.

Based on a 2009 national report from the American Enterprise Institute, Gwynedd-Mercy College ranked fourth in the nation in its category for high graduation rates. The college prepares students to become top professionals in the fields of allied health professions, arts and sciences, business, education and nursing. The newly named Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1948, the college is a coeducational institution offering more than 40 associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs on a full and part-time basis. Situated on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County, the college also offers degree programs for working adults through its Center for Lifelong Learning in Fort Washington and Philadelphia. Learn more at gmc.edu.