the Mary DiDonato Nursing Scholarship

The Mary DiDonato Nursing Scholarship was established in 2007 to recognize excellence in nursing practice. The scholarship provides support for a student enrolled in The University of Akron undergraduate nursing program. Recipients are selected based on their dedication to nursing, demonstration of the values of the profession, and service to the community through volunteerism. Scholarship recipients are selected by the Office of Student Affairs in Nursing.

Mary DiDonato has dedicated her life to the profession of nursing. Raised in a family where values and education were emphasized, Mary attended Garfield High School and then the St. Thomas School of Nursing. She spent the first part of her career working in the emergency room at St. Thomas. A caring and dedicated nurse, Mary then spent 37 years of her career working for Akron General Medical Center, with about 30 of those years proudly practicing as a head nurse in oncology.

Mary’s commitment to the Akron community extends to volunteer service. Her involvement includes time dedicated to the Christ Child Society of Akron, as well as participation on the first board of Justin T. Rogers Care Center in Akron. As an extension of her work as an oncology nurse, Mary is involved in Stewart’s Caring Place, an organization in Akron that supports families whose lives have been touched by cancer. Each year Mary lectures to students in the practical nursing program about breast cancer through the Akron School of Practical Nursing.