2022 Nursing White Coat Ceremony
Seventy Hunt School of Nursing Students Receive White Coats
TTUHSC El Paso announces Patty and Alan Russell Nursing Scholarship Fund
Seventy students marked the beginning of their education at the Hunt School of Nursing with a white coat ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. The event included the announcement of a special gift to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso for nursing scholarships.
The white coat ceremony is a traditional rite of passage welcoming students to the health care practice. TTUHSC El Paso is the only university in the city that holds a white coat ceremony for new nursing students. The coats and stethoscopes students receive are provided thanks to TTUHSC El Paso’s generous donors and alumni.
The ceremony included the reciting of the student oath, the presentation of white coats to the nursing students and a keynote address. The ceremony is meant to highlight the students’ commitment to compassionate care and scientific excellence.
At the event, community leaders Alan and Patty Russell, longtime supporters of TTUHSC El Paso, announced a $100,000 gift to the university for current use nursing scholarships. The gift will be matched by WestStar’s matching scholarship fund, bringing the total to $200,000 in support of Hunt School of Nursing students.
Alan co-founded the Tecma Group of Companies in 1986 and serves as chairman and CEO. Tecma has 85 facilities employing 15,000 people, reaching across both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Patty enjoyed a long career as a realtor with Sandy Messer & Associates, specializing in residential real estate on El Paso's West Side and Upper Valley. She then moved on to develop the Outlaw subdivision in Alto, New Mexico. Patty currently serves as Tecma’s in-house real estate consultant.
Education has always been important to both Alan and Patty, from their helping nieces and nephews achieve academic goals to offering scholarships to underprivileged high school graduates from Alan’s small hometown community in Oklahoma. Tecma encourages and financially supports its employees who want to continue their educational dreams.
Today, the Russells are honored to be able to offer support to our community’s future front-line heroes by helping with nursing scholarships that pave the way for local students to achieve their dreams.
The Hunt School of Nursing’s goal has been to ease a critical shortage of nurses in the Borderplex. The shortage has increased due to some nurses leaving the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Hunt School of Nursing is ensuring a better future for El Pasoans by educating health care leaders who will help our community through these challenging times,” Alan said. “Students have made a decision to serve as future nurses knowing the challenges that lay ahead and the sacrifices they have to make. This is our way of showing our appreciation and removing one less barrier for them to worry about while on the front lines. We are proud to support the school and its efforts to train the future nurses of the Borderplex while also changing the lives of their families.”
During the ceremony, the Russells received a special gift of their own – close family members who surprised them and joined the event as they announced the scholarship fund to the class of 2023.
The Russells have always stepped up for our community in times of need, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. After they contracted the virus in 2020, before vaccines were available, they donated convalescent plasma, an antibody-rich blood product that can help other patients fight the virus. Together with TTUHSC El Paso, they shared their experience, encouraging members of the community to do the same to help reduce the risk of severe illness.
Getting Nurses Into the Workforce
The Hunt School of Nursing features a curriculum for cross-disciplinary collaboration, preparing its students to work in clinical teams alongside physicians. The school’s curriculum also prepares students for leadership positions in hospitals and clinics. It’s home to the only accelerated program in the region where students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 16 months.
Ashley Vicente-Morales moved to El Paso last year when her husband was stationed at Fort Bliss. She is now enrolled in the school’s Accelerated B.S.N. program.
“I’m excited to begin this journey of becoming a nurse, as this has been a long-time passion and goal of mine,” Vicente-Morales said. “I’m grateful for the Russells and their generosity. Their donation is appreciated by all the students as we strive to stay afloat through these next 16 months. It’s encouraging to have such inspiring support from our community.”
Daniel Cisneros, also in the Accelerated B.S.N. program, was born and raised in El Paso and chose to go into nursing because of his parents.
“I chose nursing as a career because although my parents come from humble beginnings, they didn’t let their circumstances stop them from helping others,” Cisneros said. “Growing up, I witnessed countless moments in which my parents stepped up to help those in need, whether it was building a house, repairing a car, a leak, a wall or a roof. They always volunteered and gave their time and effort, all while raising and providing for their four children. They left a lasting impact on the people they helped, and in turn, those they helped have gone on to help others. Their legacy is one of selflessness and care for others – a legacy I hope to live up to.”
Cisneros is grateful for the Russells’ generosity, an act of kindness that mirrors what he saw in his parents.
"I could give a huge heartfelt thank you in every language on Earth, and truly it still would not be enough to express my gratitude,” he said. “Through their selfless act, they not only impact us but the patient lives we touch, as well as those who will come after us. Though I may never be able to repay them directly, I’ll put forth my best effort and pay it forward.”
Since opening in 2011, more than 1,140 nurses have graduated from the Hunt School of Nursing, with 90% staying in the region. As a result, the number of registered nurses in the county has increased by 45%.
About Alan and Patty Russell
Alan Russell is a member of several associations supporting binational business, health, and community matters and serves on the board of directors for several banking and economic development organizations. Alan has served as past president of the Chamizal Foundation, founder and past president of the International Amigo Airshow, and founding director of the El Paso Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure.
Additionally, he was honored by Southern Oklahoma State University as their 2010 Distinguished Alumni. In recognition of his leadership in promoting aviation through education, Alan was inducted into the El Paso Aviation Hall of Fame. He is a passionate enthusiast of vintage military aircraft. Alan was Patty’s mentor when she pursued her own pilot’s license, and they continue to share that passion.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.- Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It is also the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation college students.