Legacy Gift Benefits Hundreds of Nursing Students

 Mary Beth Hanner’s impact on Excelsior continues in perpetuity through a sizable bequest to the institution. Photo: Mike Hemberger

The late Mary Beth Hanner, a longtime Excelsior employee, was dedicated to Excelsior students. And hundreds of students she never met are benefitting from her generous legacy.

Before passing away in July 2022, Hanner had a full-time career with Excelsior that spanned more than 25 years, including serving as dean of nursing programs, among other positions, and culminating in her role as provost and chief academic officer from July 2011 until her retirement in February 2017.

In her estate plans, she left a six-figure transformational gift to Excelsior that was earmarked to give financial support to students in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. This first gift to the then newly created college is the largest bequest Excelsior has received in its history.

With the bequest, Excelsior created the Mary Beth Hanner College of Nursing and Health Sciences Fund to support program faculty, curriculum innovation, technology, and the overall learning experience; the Mary Beth Hanner Ever Upward Scholarship to distribute immediate-use scholarship funds to offset tuition expenses for nursing students with financial need; and the Mary Beth Hanner Endowed Scholarship in Nursing and Health Sciences.

Hanner’s gift made an immediate impact on associate degree nursing students. In 2023, the Mary Beth Hanner College of Nursing and Health Sciences Fund provided scholarships to 392 students to offset expenses for purchasing required ATI nursing education resources. For the start of the fall trimester 2023, School of Nursing faculty enhanced all courses in the associate nursing program to academically prepare students to pass the new Next Generation National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on the first attempt. They identified ATI nursing education resources to support students in mastering content, develop them into practice-ready nurses, and help them succeed on the NCLEX-RN.

“The Mary Beth Hanner College of Nursing and Health Sciences Fund made a significant impact on nursing students, offering much-needed relief when it came to covering the cost of essential course materials like textbooks, clinical supplies, and technology,” says Lizz Petroski, director of financial aid. “Nursing students are driven by a genuine desire to care for others—often sacrificing time and energy to make a difference in people’s lives. Supporting them through scholarships is more than just financial assistance; it’s an affirmation that their hard work and dedication matter.”

Excelsior has provided 29 awards from $25,000 allocated for the Mary Beth Hanner Ever Upward Scholarship and invested $50,000 for the Mary Beth Hanner Endowed Scholarship in Nursing and Health Sciences to benefit future nursing students with financial need.

“Mary Beth Hanner’s impact on the School of Nursing and nursing students continues,” says Robin Goodrich, executive dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “Her generous gift supports students in achieving their dreams of becoming a registered nurse. On behalf of the School of Nursing, we are grateful for this tremendous act of philanthropy.”

Following the course enhancements and inclusion of ATI resources, Excelsior’s first-time pass rate for the NCLEX-RN has improved from 67% in calendar year 2022 to 76% in 2023 and 83% in 2024, and each improved year’s rate is closer to the national first-time pass rate.

Hanner had a distinguished career as a nurse, nurse educator, and college administrator. She began her association with Excelsior as a part-time item writer for nursing exams in the 1980s. Hanner joined Excelsior full time when named dean of nursing programs in 1990 and later served as interim vice president of academic affairs, vice president of health sciences, and vice president of outcomes assessment and faculty development before serving as provost and chief academic officer.