Hannah Hensel – Growing Her Career at Porter Hills

Hannah Hensel has worked with the elderly since her first job at an adult foster care center when she was sixteen. “Older adults are so wise and their stories are amazing to listen to,” says Hannah. “They have a special place in my heart.”

In June 2019, Hannah started working as a Resident Assistant (RA) at Porter Hills Village and has since become a medical technician. Her goal, though, has always been to become a nurse. After completing her pre-requisites at Grand Rapids Community College, she applied and was accepted to the Davenport University nursing program.

Hannah went from full-time to part-time in order to attend school. With the expense of college, this has been difficult to cover costs. She was beyond grateful, then, for the opportunity provided by the Porter Hills Foundation to apply for a competitive scholarship, part of the Team Member Support Services fund. Hannah was one of the first Porter Hills team members to receive a scholarship in November 2020, when the program, originally implemented by the UMRC Foundation in 2014, was launched at Porter Hills.

“I was so ecstatic and happy to receive my scholarship!” says Hannah. “I am super grateful and blessed by the Foundation and the people who have given to this fund and made it possible. It helps people like me who work and go to school. It is so beneficial to my future and for the older adults I care for.”

Hannah is on course to complete her nursing degree in May 2023, and she looks forward to advancing her career at Porter Hills. “I really like Porter Hills as an organization,” Hannah says. “There is so much room to grow at Porter Hills. I tell the students in my nursing cohort at Davenport to apply for jobs at Porter Hills. They would love it here!”

You can support success stories like Hannah’s!  To learn more about the UMRC Foundation and Porter Hills Foundation Team Member Support Services program, visit UMRCFoundation.UMRCPH.com or PorterHillsFoundation.UMRCPH.com.