When Mariana Cantu learned she had been chosen as the recipient of the Indiana University Northwest Alumni Association (IUNAA) Scholarship, she immediately thought of her dad.

“I was so excited to tell him I could help pay for this semester,” Cantu said.

Until that moment, the 22-year-old from Crown Point hadn’t been able to help her parents with paying for college. The nursing program is rigorous, and succeeding meant choosing her studies over a part-time job. She sometimes offers to pay for groceries, or her books, when she’s able, which isn’t often.

“They don’t expect me to help,” she explains. “They tell me to concentrate on my studies, but I can’t help feeling guilty. I told my dad that once I graduate, I want to pay him back for school.”

This is when her eyes began to well up.

“I am so grateful for everything they have done for me,” she said. “I want them to be able to take the trips that they didn’t take, do the things they couldn’t do because they were paying my tuition.”

“I means so much to know that I am being recognized with a scholarship,” said Cantu. “It’s nice to be on a campus that wants me to succeed.”

These moments are made possible by generous donors who support IUNAA events, such as an upcoming celebration on April 2 at Byway Brewing in Hammond, where 100 percent of the event proceeds will go to the IUNAA endowed scholarship fund.

“Hearing stories like Mariana’s is my favorite part of being involved with the IUNAA,” said the organization’s president, Despina Liaskos, a 2008 MBA alumna who teaches business at Munster High School. “It reminds me of the importance of our work in supporting our students and alumni, particularly those, like Mariana, who are so focused on helping the community.”

Cantu, who is graduating this May with a bachelor of science in nursing and minor in biology, already has a job practically buttoned-up at Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus. She’s been invited to apply for an externship, a paid opportunity to work alongside a nurse before she takes her state licensing exam, known as the NCLEX, which she will do in late May.

This opportunity came about because she excelled in her capstone course which had her completing 160 clinical hours in one specialty. This is how Cantu fell in love with labor and delivery, where she hopes to make her permanent career. IU Northwest is known for having one of the highest NCLEX pass rates in the state, so Cantu has every reason to expect that she’ll soon be able to officially apply for a position as a registered labor and delivery nurse.

A passion for helping others is the driving force behind Cantu’s chosen career, as well as her involvement in service-oriented roles at IU Northwest.

Cantu founded IU Northwest’s chapter of Love Your Melon, an organization dedicated to providing therapeutic experiences for kids with cancer, while also raising money for pediatric cancer research. She also served as the philanthropy chair for the Student Nurses Association and helps out at American Red Cross blood drives. She is a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success (NSLS) and past member of the Student Alumni Association (SAA).

Cantu is maintaining a 3.1 grade point average and studying harder than ever as her final semester winds down. She credits her relationship with an incredible faculty for getting her through. One of her nursing professors goes as far as sitting down with her weekly to go over material one-on-one. This is the kind of personal attention that has ensured her academic success.

Earning the scholarship rewards her hard work, but also applauds and nurtures her grateful heart. Being able to present her parents with a token of financial assistance as she nears the Commencement stage means the world to her.

“I am so grateful for the help,” she says, “from my parents, from the faculty, from the donors who make scholarships possible, and from everyone who supported me along the way.”