Honey Lake Hospice announces the recipient of the Marge Dunlavy Memorial Scholarship for 2025 — awarded annually to the most deserving applicant pursuing a degree in a health-related field with a special interest in gerontology, oncology or hospice and palliative care.
This year the $2,000 award is being given to Habiba Darwish. Darwish is currently an undergraduate student at California State University, Sacramento, majoring in health science with a pre-nursing focus. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse practitioner specializing in trauma or palliative care.
In addition to her classes, she is a volunteer at a doctor’s clinic in Folsom and has been able to use her bilingual skills to facilitate communication between patient and doctor.
She also works part time at Jack’s Urban Eats. Darwish’s instructors and employer all stress her positive attitude, interpersonal skills and friendly personality. They said she takes the initiative and is always willing to assist and guide her peers.
“She is kind, considerate, adaptable and respectful,” they report.
In many current war zones across the globe there are health care workers laboring in devastating conditions. Some have no anesthesia for amputations and are treating mass casualties with limited resources. This deeply impacted her.
“Their courage fuels my desire to pursue a career in health care” she says. “Providing compassionate and effective medical care to those in need she sees as “a calling – a way to alleviate suffering and restore dignity.”
Her commitment to service is also shown in leadership roles. She has received multiple accolades recognizing her dedication to community service. From the Associated Students Inc., the Student Success Scholarship; and from the Counsel on American Islamic Relations, the Youth Leadership and Service Award.
In her position as a mental health ambassador with the National Alliance on Mental Illness she developed initiatives to support student well-being stating,
“I believe mental health is just as vital as physical health,” she said.
Advocating for awareness and humanitarian aid as a board member of Students for Justice in Palestine she believes knowledge and empathy can drive meaningful change.
Darwish not only balances work, volunteering and school, she also crafts and sells handmade jewelry using her creativity as another means to support her education while maintaining a weighted GPA of 4.0.
Honey Lake Hospice is honored to be able to assist Habiba Darwish in her chosen career.
As an all-volunteer organization, Honey Lake Hospice has been providing services to our community since 2004. It is dedicated to offering end-of-life support with a program of flexible services providing compassionate and supportive care in the setting of the patient’s choosing.
For more information about Honey Lake Hospice and the services available call the hospice office at (530) 257-3137.
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