Springfield Hospital and Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) are pleased to announce Tess Shook as the recipient of this year’s Dr. E. Sherburne Lovell Health Career Award. Tess is a resident of Springfield, Vermont and a 2025 graduate of Springfield High School. The Lovell Award contributes $1000 per year for four years toward a student’s academic pursuit of a career in health and is funded by the proceeds from the annual Springfield Hospital Apple Blossom event and community donations.
Dr. Lovell was a longtime physician at Springfield Hospital, and his daughters, Melissa Post and Elizabeth David said, “While he was a man who never sought recognition for his service in the medical field or in the community, we know he would be honored to have this award named in his memory. We hope recipients of the award will share the same sense of wonder and commitment to service in the world of medicine that he did.”
Tess attended the Southern Vermont AHEC’s MedQuest program at Springfield Hospital. “This experience helped me decide to pursue labor and delivery nursing and later furthering my degree as a midwife,” said Tess.
She will be attending Vermont State University, and she will be studying Nursing. Vermont State University offers the 1+1+2 program that she will be following. The first year students earn a Practical Nursing Certificate. The second year students earn an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree, which makes them eligible for Registered Nurse (RN) licensure. The third- and fourth-year students complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing online, allowing flexibility to work in the field of nursing while completing their degree. “My goal is to become a compassionate and competent nurse, dedicated to improving the health and lives of individuals and communities,” said Tess.
Alysia Straw, Southern Vermont AHEC, Director of Health Careers Exploration stated, “It’s inspiring to see future health professionals, like Tess, supported on their educational journey. We love working with our community hospital and community members to encourage more Vermont youth to work towards a career in health.”
“We are delighted to support Tess’s education and wish her much success with her studies,” said Bob Adcock, CEO of Springfield Hospital.
To be eligible for the award, students must live in one of the towns served by Springfield Hospital and be invited to apply by Southern Vermont AHEC. For more information about AHEC programs, go to www.svtahec.org.