First Layman Endowment winner credits experiences that fostered career path

Elisa Jenks, an advanced practice registered nurse, has a real love for Augusta University’s College of Nursing and the Costa Layman Health Fair, as both hold a special place in her heart.

Jenks, who studied romance languages at the University of Georgia, had an internal debate about what to do with her undergraduate degree. She thought she could use it as an avenue to serve other communities and help translate with different ministries or mission opportunities. Then she had a vision of helping someone who was from a different culture than her own.

“I’m still using the language skill set and have a passion for different cultures, but [in my vision] I got to physically help a child, and from there that I started thinking maybe, maybe I need to do something medical,” said Jenks, who was the first recipient of the Layman Family Scholarship Endowment, which assists outstanding prelicensure nursing students who have a desire to contribute to the Latino community.

She focused her efforts on nursing and discovered CON’s Clinical Nurse Leader Program. She earned her prerequisites, applied and was accepted. Sixteen months later, she earned a Master of Science in Nursing.

“It was exactly where I needed to be to bring everything together,” she said.

Jenks was in school when she first heard about the Costa Layman Health Fair – known initially as the Layman Nurseries Health Fair. She worked on the lead project that summer and helped with the student participation, with direction from Debbie Layman, a Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing alumna who helped establish the health fair.

Jenks said seeing the connection between the Latino culture while working alongside the medical component allowed her to see her full opportunity to use her skill sets to reach that population. In the 20 years of the health fair, she said she has missed only a couple.

Applying for the Layman Family Scholarship Endowment made sense to her not only because of her poor upbringing, but also because she learned of the vision and passion behind the health fair after several conversations with Layman and Pam Cromer, DNP, the director of the Augusta University Costa Layman Outreach Programs.

“It was very cool, to say the least, to be the first recipient. My family got to be there, and we all went to lunch with Debbie, and we talked. This was the culmination of my nursing education during this part of my life.”

Elisa Jenks

“I was one of five siblings, and I paid for my entire schooling,” said Jenks, who currently works as a certified nurse midwife at Wellstar MCG Health. “During my undergrad, I worked trying to pay my bills, and then as a graduate student, I lived off some loans and did what I could. I was here at AU wanting to help with the new skills that I was learning.

“It was very cool, to say the least, to be the first recipient,” Jenks said. “My family got to be there, and we all went to lunch with Debbie, and we talked. This was the culmination of my nursing education during this part of my life.”

Layman said, the moment she met Jenks, it was obvious why she was chosen as the first recipient, citing her enthusiasm, her genuine compassion and heart, as well as her passion for giving back.

Layman noted that Jenks’ commitment to the health fair didn’t end after the award, and she has been thrilled that Jenks has stayed involved with it, volunteering her time and staying connected.

“She’s so amazing; not only has she helped with the nursing side of it for many years, but she has helped with occupational therapy because she’s bilingual,” Layman said. “She’s able to demonstrate and explain in Spanish while working along with the instructor. Now she likes to share her expertise with us for the women’s clinic, as well.

“It’s just unbelievable that you can form these relationships over time,” she continued. “You know what a treasure that is to meet somebody like that and then know her from the time she was a student to when she got married to becoming a nurse midwife. To walk along with her as she’s grown and her family has grown, her professional life has grown … is pretty amazing.”

Jenks credits Layman, Cromer and Joshua Dunn, who was the class president during her time at AU, for the influence they had on her growth both personally and professionally while fostering an environment of learning and having hands-on opportunities. She said their passion to help the underserved community and then go out and “get it done” inspired her to help and watch the foundation grow.

“It’s our community, and I feel very proud to be a part of it and to be able to help,” Jenks said. “I’ve built my skills as someone who speaks Spanish and English. I’m fluent, but I’m not a native speaker. To be able to offer those skills, to know that people who are native speakers and not bilingual – they know that I can be an asset or useful.”