Emergency Fund helps students in need

By Sarah Creel Mitchell

On Halloween morning in 2025, Jason Sowell woke up ready for clinicals. He donned his scrubs, grabbed his school bag, and headed out the door. Sowell was unaware that by the end of the day, everything else he owned would be gone.

A fire that began in an abandoned building near the Sowells’ apartment on Cobb Lane quickly spread, destroying their home and nearly all of their belongings. Jason and his wife lost everything in a matter of hours. For most people, the devastation would have been overwhelming. For a nursing student in his final semester, it could have derailed all his hard work.

Instead, Sowell graduated.

“The money from the fund was crucial to rebuilding my life,” Sowell said. “My wife and I were beyond floored by the support that we got from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, and the emergency assistance we received has helped us tremendously as we work to get back on our feet.”

Jason is one of many UAB School of Nursing students whose academic journeys have been bolstered by the UABSON Emergency Fund. The fund, which was established through a philanthropic grant from the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation, is sustained by ongoing support from alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the School.

A safety net when students need it most

“The intention of the School of Nursing Emergency Fund is to assist students with short-term emergencies,” said Stephanie Hamberger, Director of Student Engagement and Scholarships for the School. “These could be things like fire, flood, loss of family support, or loss of financial aid.”

Unlike traditional scholarships, the Emergency Fund is designed to respond quickly and flexibly.

When a student applies for assistance, Hamberger works closely with them to understand their situation, build a realistic budget, and create a plan for how the funds will be used. Applications are reviewed by a committee, with final approval from the dean.

This support can be the difference between a temporary setback and a permanent interruption. Hamberger has seen firsthand how the Emergency Fund helps students persist through circumstances beyond their control.

“We’ve had a lot of applicants to the fund who were able to graduate as a result of using it,” she said. “We ask students who have taken part in it to pay it forward when they go out into the world and get their nursing jobs.”

Rising need, real impact

The demand for emergency assistance has grown in recent years. According to Hamberger, changes to federal financial aid have left many students with fewer resources to fall back on when something goes wrong.

“The fund is really needed these days,” she said. “Students need it more frequently because of the changes to federal financial aid.”

For nursing students, emergencies can be especially destabilizing. Clinical schedules, licensure requirements, and limited flexibility make it difficult to pause and restart.

When housing, transportation, or basic necessities are threatened, students must make impossible choices. The Emergency Fund exists so they don’t have to choose between survival and their education.

Jason Sowell’s experience is a powerful example. “All the employees, staff, and faculty at UAB did a great job working with me and were really helpful,” Sowell said. “They helped me overcome barriers that I wouldn’t have been able to overcome otherwise.”

With support from the Emergency Fund and the School of Nursing community, Sowell stayed enrolled, completed his program, and graduated in December 2025—just two months after the fire that destroyed his home.

Today, he’s exactly where he hoped to be: in orientation as a nurse in the UAB Emergency Department.

Giving that multiplies

The UAB School of Nursing Emergency Fund doesn’t just help students survive a crisis; it helps ensure that communities continue to benefit from well-prepared, compassionate nurses.

While the Emergency Fund began with foundation support, its continued impact depends on the generosity of individual donors who believe no nursing student should miss any part of their education due to adversity.

When donors give to The Fund, the impact is immediate and tangible. A contribution can help a student secure temporary housing, put food on the table, replace essential belongings, cover transportation costs, or manage unexpected expenses long enough to regain stability.

Now, as Sowell begins his nursing career at UAB, he’s living proof of what’s possible when a community shows up for its students, especially in their most vulnerable moments.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support I received,” Sowell said.

Gifts to the School of Nursing Emergency Fund ensure that when the unexpected happens, students don’t have to face it alone. The Fund directly strengthens the future nursing workforce and the communities these graduates will go on to serve.