POTTSTOWN PA – Applications are now being accepted for a program that could offer financial relief to local registered nurses and behavioral health professionals burdened with a minimum of $10,000 in student loan debt.
The Pottstown Regional Community Foundation, in collaboration with Creative Health Services, will receive applications through Oct. 30 (2025; Thursday) for the second year of the “Behavioral Health and Registered Nurse Student Loan Assistance Program.”
The financial help is made possible through the Diana Smith Memorial Endowment, which honors a former Boyertown Area School District nurse.
The foundation notes these professionals across Boyertown and the TriCounty Region face a growing challenge. Many are dealing with rising student loan debt, in a market that urgently demands their skills.
Across the nation and within the region, schools, hospitals, and community health organizations struggle to attract and retain nurses and behavioral health staff. High student loan debt often discourages new graduates from entering or staying in these fields. The program intends to ease this financial burden, and allow recipients to focus on the people they serve.
Qualified applicants must successfully meet program guidelines and commitments. Applications must be submitted online.
A Nurse’s Legacy of Service
The endowment named for Diana Smith, who died in 2021, honors her life of service and “also creates a pathway for current and future professionals to remain in the community, where their expertise is most needed,” according to the foundation.
“Diana’s greatest commitment was to her students and the youth in Boyertown, where her caring nature made a lasting impact” her husband, Doug Smith, says. Her dedication to students in Boyertown made her a trusted advocate and caregiver. Her compassion for youth and families, however, extended well beyond her school nurse’s office.
Smith was a Girl Scout leader, a Sunday school and youth leader, and a volunteer with the “Josh’s Angels” Relay for Life team. She also participated in faith-based mission trips, and worked with local ministries.
The program inspired by her dedication ensures that Smith’s lifelong mission of caring for others continues to benefit the community. It is “a great honor to receive this opportunity”, says Adam Lutz, a school-based social worker who was a winner of last year’s award. “I feel inspired (by Diana), and feel a sense of purpose bestowed on me to carry on her legacy as a devoted social worker.”
“It is a privilege to work with the Smith family to honor Diana and keep her memory alive,” says foundation President Dave Kraybill. “This program is the first of its kind in our region to raise awareness of behavioral health, while supporting our nursing and counseling workforce.”
Photos provided to Travels With The Post by the Pottstown Regional Community Foundation
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