Nadja Anne Prepetit-Barnett Scholarship

The Nadja Anne Prepetit-Barnett Scholarship was established in June 2021 by University of Akron alumna Nadja Anne Prepetit-Barnett. The scholarship provides financial assistance for people in the workforce returning to college to prepare for new careers in nursing. Mrs. Barnett, a native of Port-au­Prince, Haiti, came to Akron in 1982. She holds multiple degrees from UA, including an associate degree in business management technology (1987), a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design (1990), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1998), and Master of Science in Nursing, with the title Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in (2004).

As a student, Mrs. Barnett met her husband, Carlton, in 1982 in an area of UA’s campus now known as the Coleman Common. After working in graphic design, she returned to UA to study nursing. Later, after earning her first nursing degree, she then worked at the Cleveland Clinic in the cardio-thoracic ICU for five years before returning for a master’s degree. Mrs. Barnett joined the U.S. Army Reserves as a nurse in 2002 and spent nine years, two tours of active duty and finishing as a U.S. Army Captain. She has worked with Summa Health System for more than 17 years, and previously served as a clinical instructor in the ICU at Akron General.

Through her experiences, Mrs. Barnett has overcome the challenges of returning to college from the workforce. These efforts led her to establish a scholarship making it easier for others to do the same.

The Nadja Anne Prepetit-Barnett Scholarship will be awarded to people in the workforce returning to college to prepare for new careers in nursing. University of Akron students pursing a nursing degree in the College of Health and Human Sciences, particularly those changing to or beginning a new professional career path. The scholarship will be awarded to full or part-time undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or higher, with first consideration given to minority students. Selection will be made by the College of Health and Human Sciences and students should apply through the College’s scholarship application process for consideration.