US Anesthesia Partners (USAP), founded in 2012, is a single specialty organization that provides anesthesia services in more than 700 facilities nationwide. With a desire to shape the future of anesthesia care, USAP partners with universities to provide clinical sites for nurse anesthesia educational programs. One such educational partner is Texas Wesleyan University.

In addition to providing high-quality clinical sites for students, USAP also awards a scholarship each year, named after Steven L. Boatright, CRNA. This year, the essay competition for the award was so tight that two scholarships were awarded — and students in the TXWES nurse anesthesia program won both awards! 

Congratulations to Svenja Mujagic and Alyssa Wilson!

Svenja Mujagic, a third-year student, described in her essay her family's move to the United States from Bosnia 30 years ago. “I vividly remember moving to the United States as a four-year-old. My entire family of four slept on one mattress. We left our dearest friends and our toys and waved goodbye to places and people we knew we would never see again.”

She also described the motivation to become a nurse anesthetist, writing, “This dream was fueled by the realization that high-quality care can have a life-altering impact during a pivotal and stressful point in someone’s life. As I get closer to reaching this lifelong goal, my underlying drive remains the same: to inspire others just as I was inspired all those years ago."

As a young girl, Alyssa Wilson “dreamed of becoming a nurse, but was unaware of any advanced practice roles except for Nurse Practitioners.” While nannying for a family during college, Alyssa was introduced to nurse anesthesia by the husband and wife, both anesthesia providers for USAP!

Currently a second-year student, Alyssa relayed in her essay, “Without leaders, I wouldn’t be in CRNA school. It is also very likely that I would have minimal knowledge regarding this profession and its importance in our communities. Because of the leaders around me, I was encouraged to enter this career and uphold a standard of professionalism when providing optimal patient care.”

Texas Wesleyan University is so very proud of both of these students. They are shining examples of leadership, compassion and drive. Our anesthesia future is in good hands.