Shah Donation to Help Nursing, Health Students
College of Southern Maryland Foundation Director Dr. Ila Shah and her husband Dr. Vinod K. Shah continued their support of the college and their commitment to student success by giving the college a $100,000 gift.
Dr. Ila Shah, director of the College of Southern Maryland Foundation, and her husband, Dr. Vinod K. Shah, have given a tremendous gift to students at CSM. The Shah donation of a $100,000 gift will bolster the Southern Maryland Nursing and Health Alliance Scholarship, which was set up in 2016 by the Shahs to support nursing and allied health programs. The new gift marks Vinod Shah’s recent birthday.
“When you support education, you are giving a gift which is really remarkable,” Vinod Shah said in a news release from the college. “Being a doctor, I think saving lives is important but with education, it’s more than saving lives. You are making a life.”
“We have been practicing in the community since 1974,” said Ila Shah in the release. “I have seen the students, from all over the place, doing the work and trying to get an education. I’m very proud of [CSM] because of the support they have given. We are employing a lot of medical students from CSM [including] the nurses and all of the health alliances. Our scholarship is specifically for the nurses, medical assistants and the health alliance.”
CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy said the Shahs have woven their generosity throughout Southern Maryland. “Our students are so incredibly fortunate to have the Shahs in their corner, being their champion and cheering them on. The CSM Foundation is honored to join forces with the Shahs and work hard – every day – to change lives,” Dr. Murphy said in the release.
Ila Shah is a retired pediatrician and serves on the CSM Foundation Board. She was honored with the CSM Trustee Distinguished Service Award in 2018. The co-founder of MedStar Shah Medical Group, she is a leader both locally and globally in the health sciences industry and is known to be a visionary who uses her expertise and network of colleagues to bring down barriers to education and healthcare.
“She is passionate about education and understands how important it is toward the vitality of our community and she believes no one should be denied an education due to financial difficulties,” said CSM Foundation Trustee Chair Ted Harwood, he announced the award for Ila Shah.
Ila Shah is also known for her love and compassion for children, as reflected by her support of the St. Charles Children’s Learning Center at CSM’s La Plata Campus, Harwood continued, adding that the Shahs have been instrumental in the purchase of tricycles and shade umbrellas for the kids there.
“Dr. Shah is a humanitarian who also makes an impact internationally,” Mr. Harwood said. “Through her service as a member of the Rotary Club of Charlotte Hall, Dr. Shah often partners with Rotary International on global projects. For example, she recently led the effort to bring clean drinking water to 18 villages in India and she is currently working with a team of doctors to provide cataract surgeries on 1,400 blind adults and children in Nigeria.”
When asked about her spirit of service and giving, Ila Shah’s answer was quick.
“The community has given me so much love and affection,” she said. “I cannot put a price tag on that.”
The Southern Maryland Nursing and Health Alliance Scholarship will give financial support for students who are working toward careers in nursing, pre-nursing, medical lab technician, or phlebotomy technician. Candidates are residents of Calvert, Charles, or St. Mary’s counties; demonstrate financial need; earn and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA; and be enrolled in one of CSM’s specified Health Science programs.
Scholarship recipients get financial help for tuition, fees and books for nursing, pre-nursing, medical lab tech, phlebotomy tech, and future programs identified by the donor as well as up to $1,500 each semester for four semesters if they continue to comply with the eligibility requirements and remain in good academic standing.
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