After working and volunteering in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, shelters, and camps for teenagers with chronic diseases and behavioral problems, I saw how family, peers, and environment all play a role in the actions and overall health of teenagers. My interests led to the MSN/PhD program at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, a perfect fit for me. Here I can focus on community health nursing and examine the correlation between relational aggression and dating violence in young adolescents. Upon completion of my doctorate, I plan to become a nurse researcher and educator, and will pursue a career as a nursing faculty member.

I am thrilled that the Segal family has chosen to create a fellowship that highlights the great need for PhD educated nurses. As the first recipient of the Ellen Levi Zamoiski Fellowship, I now can devote myself full time to my doctoral studies. I know that the quality of my education and my work will reach its fullest potential because of the generosity shown by Clair and Tommy Segal in establishing this fellowship.

Baltimore (MD) community patrons Clair Zamoiski Segal and Thomas (Tommy) H. Segal have established a $1 million Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Nursing endowment in honor of Mrs. Segal's mother, Ellen Levi Zamoiski. Beginning in 2005, the Segals also are funding a $30,000 annual Ellen Levi Zamoiski Doctoral Fellowship, the first of its kind in doctoral education at the School of Nursing (SON).