Abigail Mullen Named 2025 Recipient of the Kathleen Sheehan Memorial Scholarship

July 9, 2025

CONWAY, NH — Visiting Nurse Home Care & Hospice of Carroll County and Western Maine (VNHCH) is proud to announce that Abigail Mullen of North Conway, NH, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Kathleen Sheehan Memorial Scholarship. The $2,000 award supports local students pursuing degrees in nursing, physical therapy, or occupational therapy.

Mullen is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, where she will begin her sophomore year this fall. She has earned placement on the Dean’s List and is a member of the national honor society Alpha Lambda Delta.

A 2023 graduate of Kennebunk High School, Mullen also participated in a dual- enrollment program through Southern Maine Community College while in high school. Her resume reflects a strong commitment to service and community, with volunteer roles at the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel, and as a teacher’s aide and math department aide at Kennebunk High School.

Mullen stated, “I want to thank VNHCH for selecting me as the recipient of the Kathleen Sheehan Scholarship Award. I am incredibly honored and grateful for their support and generosity.”

Mullen plans to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) after her sophomore year and hopes to work in the Conway area during the summer to gain hands-on experience. After graduation, she intends to remain in the community where she has lived for much of her life and pursue certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)—a role that combines clinical care with advocacy and forensic responsibility. The scholarship was established in memory of Kathleen Sheehan, a beloved VNHCH nurse and the agency’s first hospice administrator. Created by her colleagues following her passing from cancer, the award honors Sheehan’s legacy of compassion and commitment to rural health care.

“We are proud to support Abigail in her journey toward becoming a nurse,” said Sandy Ruka, RN, MSN, Executive Director of VNHCH. “Her academic achievements, volunteer service, and long-term commitment to health care in our community make her an outstanding recipient. Supporting students like Abigail helps us strengthen the future of care in Carroll County and Western Maine.”

For more information about the Kathleen Sheehan Memorial Scholarship, visit www.vnhch.org/about/scholarship.