Steven Wentz

The Wentz Family would like to congratulate you on your decision to pursue a
career in nursing and offer you this scholarship in honor of Geraldine LaCoste-
Wentz (Geri), a passionate nurse whose career spanned over 30 years and
included numerous different departments including oncology, the ICU, the ER,
the burn unit, and nursing education. Through her service as a Captain in the
Army Reserves, Geri also expanded her service and knowledge of the nursing
profession while honing leadership skills that made her successful in every
avenue of her work in and out of the hospital.
While she spent the bulk of her career working in Arizona, she graduated from
North Dakota State University in 1980 and her time at NDSU shaped her as a
nurse and educator. Once in Arizona, she continued her education, getting her
bachelor’s and then master’s degree in the nursing field. We know she would
want to continue to support the next generation of nurses.
Standing at 4’11” tall, one of Geri’s favorite sayings was “dynamite comes in
small packages” and we hope you will bring the same zest to patient advocacy
and excellent nursing care that she always did.
Geri would be the first to tell you that nursing can be a very demanding, and
sometimes stressful career. However, helping patients and their families and
making an impact on people’s care, and sometimes their lives, makes it all
worthwhile, and she never regretted her career choice. In addition, her years in
education helped mold a new generation of caring and competent nurses.
We wish you the best of luck in your life and your career.