Mason Health is proud to announce that Shelton High School Senior Maleighia Constantino has won Mason Health’s full-ride nursing scholarship offered to Health Science Academy students who apply and meet qualifications. Mason Health will pay for tuition, books and supplies for Constantino’s post-secondary education, including any pre-requisite classes she may need to take before applying to nursing school, as well as a nursing school program at a local community college.
“Maleighia’s heartwarming essay included being inspired by nurses at the Mason General Hospital Birth Center who cared for her family member,” said Senior Director of Performance Excellence Nicole Eddins. “This touched the scholarship committee and reminded us of the impact we can have on today’s youth. To have one of our very own nurses inspire an 11-year-old eventually pursue becoming a Mason Health nurse is absolutely heartwarming and full circle.”
Constantino has lived in Washington for most of her life. At the start of her freshman year of high school, her family relocated to Shelton because her parents both took jobs with the Washington Corrections Center. In 2019, while her father was at work, Constantino accompanied her mother, Cynthia, to Mason General Hospital, where her mom delivered her younger sister, Elliyoni.
“Since elementary school, I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in the medical field,” Constantino said. “The group of nurses that cared for my mother when she gave birth exemplified for me what a good nurse looks like. They were outstanding caretakers. Witnessing my youngest sister’s birth filled me with joy. I want to be able to provide the amazing care that my mother experienced to all women.”
The process was eye-opening — Constantino had always wanted to be an OB/GYN, but she had the chance to see first-hand how involved nurses are in the care of laboring women. She decided to pursue the Health Sciences pathway at Shelton High School, and when she heard about the Mason Health scholarship, she thought it was a dream come true.
“I feel so lucky — I would have ended up with thousands of dollars in student loan debt to try to achieve my dreams,” she said. “It’s amazing to take this load off of my parents. I have four sisters and I don’t want my mom to worry about me.”
Constantino is also an officer in the Associated Student Body and works at Wetzel’s Pretzels at the Capitol Mall in Olympia.
Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County is ISO 9001 Quality Management System certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. The Board of Hospital District Commissioners are Don Welander, President, Darrin Moody, Secretary, and Lori Brady, Trustee. Mason General Hospital and Mason Clinic are ENERGY STAR® certified and Mason Health is the recipient of one Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award, three Partner for Change Awards, two Greening the Operating Room Awards, the Making Medicine Mercury Free Award and the 2025 Emerald Award. To learn more about Mason Health’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.masonhealth.com/about/sustainability-environmental-stewardship. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.masonhealth.com. To learn more about DNV, visit www.dnv.com/healthcare.