Gamma Eta Eta chapter of the Chi Eta Phi sorority recently hosted their first-ever nursing scholarship banquet with the intention of celebration nursing excellence. The sorority of nurses decided to begin a scholarship in honor of Geneane Wall Marshall, who was pivotal in the creation of the chapter here in Clinton.
“We wanted to honor her. Her heart just went out to people,” stated Harriet Bryant, RN, of Sampson Regional Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit..
The banquet was a scene of green and yellow, the colors of the sorority group. The Warren Student Center at Sampson Community College was set up for the event.
“For it to be our first one, it’s very nice,” sorority sister Sandra Richardson said.
“I think this has turned out really well,” Col. Jennifer Robinson-Curry, an army nurse, stated. “We are looking forward to making this banquet better every year.”
The sorority felt the need to honor Marshall, whose family even came to the event to celebrate and honor her, some traveling from states away.
The Chi Eta Phi sorority was founded in 1932 in Washington, D.C., at what was formerly known as Freedmen’s Hospital that has since changed to Howard University Hospital. The chapter Gamma Eta Eta in Clinton was chartered in 2017. It was started by 12 registered nurses.
The sorority is dedicated to the community, making it their mission to help people live healthier lifestyles, believing that education is an important component. They attend health fairs and host a program in February in honor of Heart Health Month.
Only a current member can invite another nurse to join in the sorority. According to Desmond Batiste, current sorority member, there are a variety of tests that one must pass in order to be accepted into the family.
William Marshall, lovingly known as Little Ed by the sorority members, is the son of Marshall. He resides in Maryland and drove out with family and friends to support the cause.
“Her legacy lives on,” Marshall stated. “I know she’s looking down and smiling. I can’t thank the sorority enough — they have blessed me.”
The scholarship is open statewide to chapters from across North Carolina. This year’s recipient was Emily Johnson, Clinton High School graduate. Johnson is an NC Academic Scholar, who is in the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and the Rho Society with a GPA of 4.25. Johnson plans to earn a nursing degree.
Mary Goodman presented the scholarship to Johnson, while sharing a story about Marshall with the crowd. She stated that Marshall brought gifts to every charter member in May of 2017. She was pulling an oxygen tank with her as well, but that never got in her way.
“Geneane Wall Marshall believed in gifts,” Goodman stated. “Her giving heart sparked a flame in Gamma Eta Eta that we could not possibly allow to extinguish.”
Johnson said she was thankful to be the first recipient of the scholarship, andhopes to be fully enrolled as a nursing student next semester.
“To be able to be here and to empower someone else and support them financially, to be kind to them is more than I could ever dream of,” Marshall expressed, explaining how his mother had a passion for nursing. She was a stickler for education and she believed in helping out her community. He said he knew his mother would be proud that the sorority chose to honor her by pacing a scholarship in her name, bringing all the elements of her life together.
“I’m very impressed. I had no idea she had such an impact,” Michael Williams, nephew to Geneane Marshall, stated. He made his way from Fayetteville to be at the event.
Anitra Howard Wilson performed for the banquet. The DJ was unable to play the backing soundtrack for Wilson’s song, so she did it a cappella. Mistress of the Ceremony, Destiny Fullwood, stated that she wished she could sing a cappella like Wilson and asked the audience to give her another round of applause.
During the event, the guest were invited to partake in a mystery game where they were told symptoms of a disease and were able to guess what the disease was. Everyone who wanted to participate could step to the front, write the name of the disease along with their name on a piece of paper and add it to a nursing cap.
The event also featured special recognition.Those who were recognized included nurses Nina Johnson, Goodman, Sabrina Pope, and Myra Brunson. Phyllis Goodman was honored as a surprise during the event as the members offered a heartfelt thank you to her.
Some audience members were inspired to sign up as donors to the scholarship with several people standing as pledges, many of whom were friends of William Marshall. He thanked them for their support and for being his rock during his mother’s passing, also offering his gratitude for the nurses of the sorority for putting the event together honoring his mother.
“I can’t explain to you ladies how important the work is that you’re doing,” Marshall expressed. “I appreciate you for your endurance and your tenacity. Thank you so much for all you have given.” William is looking forward to attending the banquet again next year.
“It was beautiful. People in the audience wanted to be part of it,” Fullwood expressed after an energetic night of hosting the event. Fullwood was also inspired to pledge to the scholarship.
The keynote speaker of the event was chaplain to the Gamma Eta Eta chapter, Dr. Veronica Stevens.
“She was a mentor and the pursuit of her passions were infectious,” Stevens noted about Geneane Marshall. “She was instrumental in the inception of our chapter. Her drive and tenacity motivated all of us.”
Stevens directed the audience members to seek out their purpose in life and to push toward it. Everyone has a purpose whether they want to believe it or not, Stevens mentioned.
Stevens noted William’s admiration for his mother growing up. She informed the crowd that he did not believe that she died from cancer, but instead, she lived through it. The challenge after the night was to leave a legacy.
“What will live on after you’re gone?” Stevens asked.
Fullwood noted that it was important to leave flowers to people while they are still living.
“It is a beautiful thing when people can see the impact that the green and yellow is making in the community and in the surrounding communities,” Fullwood expressed.
The sorority members ended the evening by joining each other in singing the sorority song.
