Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing scholarship supports Auburn nurse on journey to giving back

Marcellis Dodson, RN, BSN, always knew he would work in health care. In fact, he remembers telling his parents that he was going to become a doctor in third grade.

“It was honestly something that was put on my heart at that age, and it was something that I felt I was called to do,” he explains.

Fast forward just over 20 years, and Marcellis is bringing his aspirations to life, backed by the unwavering support of family members, friends, educators and colleagues. Since 2017, he’s served as a nurse in the Geropsychiatric Inpatient Unit at MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, and with the help of a donor-powered scholarship, he’s studying to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

But Marcellis’ journey into nursing wasn’t always straightforward. Growing up in Rainier Valley, he recalls having few opportunities to learn about the profession in his community.

It wasn’t until he started working as a server at an assisted living facility during his senior year of high school that he saw the many ways care teams support patients.

“Through serving meals to the elderly, I fell in love with taking care of people,” he shares. “I saw how the certified nursing assistants were a little closer with the patients because they were able to do personal care things. And I saw that as my opportunity to get closer to patients as well.”

That experience catapulted his career in health care. Marcellis pursued certified nursing assistant (CNA) certification, a practical nursing diploma and registered nursing courses, before earning a bachelor’s degree of science in nursing (BSN).

As part of his coursework, he rounded at Western State Hospital where he fell in love with taking care of patients all over again.

“I felt a connection to this group of people who have been severely and grossly underserved,” Marcellis says. “Being a Black male and growing up where me and my family grew up, we too were a subpopulation of people who were underserved. And I felt that I was called upon to make a difference in this group as well.”

Soon after, he discovered an externship at MultiCare Auburn Medical Center’s Geropsychiatric Inpatient Unit that would combine his passions of serving older adults and championing mental health.

Scholarship propels Marcellis’ career

Four years later, Marcellis is still serving patients in Auburn. And thanks to community generosity, he’s also advancing his career through the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track within the University of Washington School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing (DNP) program.

In 2020, Marcellis was awarded a scholarship through the Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing (TGHSON) Education Endowment Fund, fulfilling his health care higher education aspirations. Through donations from TGHSON alumnae and friends, the endowment provides scholarships to nurses of all levels for continuing education and professional leadership development.

For Marcellis, the scholarship has not only helped financially but has also served as a tangible reminder of the incredible people backing professionals like him.

“It encouraged me — and I’m sure it encourages other nurses — to want to pursue higher education knowing there are groups of people who want to help us get there,” he says.

After graduating, Marcellis plans to give back while serving as a positive role model for youth.

“I now have the opportunity to be a representation for a lot of kids that may not even know people like us can be in positions like this,” he says. “Specifically, in mental health when it comes to caring for patients who’ve been in the system, I feel I’m showing a different approach to their care and mental health altogether. There’s a connection that wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for who I am and where I come from.”

You can support MultiCare nurses like Marcellis by donating to the TGHSON Education Endowment Fund.