SUNY Adirondack, Hudson Headwaters offer 'life-changing' scholarship

Contacts: 

• Rhonda Triller, Director of Marketing and Communications, trillerr@sunyacc.edu, 518-743-2200, ext. 2230
• Pam Fisher, Director of External Affairs at Hudson Headwaters Health Network, pfisher@hhhn.org, 518-338-7905

QUEENSBURY, New York (July 29, 2025) — When Logan Hayes crossed the stage to receive a SUNY Adirondack degree in Nursing in May, she knew she was walking toward a better future.

The Johnsburg mother of four is the first recipient of the Chelsea Coutant Memorial Nursing Pipeline Scholarship, sponsored by Nemer Motor Group, providing her $16,000 in financial support and — perhaps even more valuable — the opportunity for a two-year nursing position with Hudson Headwaters Health Network (HHHN). 

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity this scholarship provides and to have a job right out of school,” said Hayes, who was selected from more than 40 applicants for the scholarship, which was originally created by Robert Nemer, a member of the boards of both SUNY Adirondack Foundation and Hudson Headwaters, and his wife, Francine.

The scholarship is offered to a second-year nursing student at SUNY Adirondack, who receives $4,000 in the fall semester and $4,000 in the spring. An additional $8,000 is awarded by Hudson Headwaters once the recipient successfully completes the hiring process.

“Upon completion of the degree and passing the licensing exams, the recipient is also provided a retention bonus in exchange for a two-year commitment to the Network,” said Susan Corney, executive vice president of human resources at Hudson Headwaters. “While the Network is long accustomed to helping our employees with professional development and tuition assistance, collaborating with SUNY Adirondack has been a proactive way we can strengthen our workforce with aspiring providers who have deep connections to the communities we serve. We are delighted to welcome Logan to our team.”  

The scholarship — created in honor of a SUNY Adirondack nursing student who died in a 2017 car crash, whom Nemer knew as a waitress at a restaurant he frequented — grew out of what Nemer saw as a need for the college and health care provider. 

“At almost every HHHN board meeting, the topic came up about needing key personnel, including nurses, and at almost every SUNY Adirondack Foundation meeting, the topic came up as ‘What do we do to keep some of these newly educated students in our area?’,” Nemer said. “The scholarship idea came out of putting these two needs together. Logan is an amazing example of what this program is all about. I hope other donors are inspired to join Franny and me and support future recipients.”

The result is life changing for Hayes, who became a mother as a teenager, then worked for several years in hospitality as a waitress and bartender. “My children have been my biggest motivators,” she said. “My childhood had some family struggles and difficulties, so I knew I had to do something different, that I had to put in the work and make something of myself.”

Hayes passed the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) — a standardized exam that assesses the competency of a nursing school graduate — in June and, while awaiting arrival of her nursing license, she is working under a nurse leader as part of the network’s women’s health team.  

“For each of my pregnancies, I received care from Hudson Headwaters. Looking back, this likely did pique my interest in gynecological and obstetrical care, and pushed me to pursue my nursing degree,” Hayes shared. “I hope I can continue to be an example for my daughters and serve the community that helped shaped me.”

To learn more about donating to this opportunity and other scholarships, contact the SUNY Adirondack Foundation at foundation@sunyacc.edu or 518-743-2243.

About Hudson Headwaters Health Network

Hudson Headwaters is a nonprofit network of 26 community-based primary care health centers serving patients of all ages from Saratoga County to the Canadian border, an area of about 7,900 square miles. The Network’s comprehensive services include primary care, urgent care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral health, dentistry and other specialties, along with laboratory and imaging services. Learn more at HHHN.org.

About SUNY Adirondack

SUNY Adirondack is a community college with a growing campus that is part of the nation’s largest university, the State University of New York. With locations in Queensbury, Glens Falls and Wilton, SUNY Adirondack offers courses in person and online; on-campus housing at the Queensbury campus; and serves students via credit and continuing education programs. Learn more at sunyacc.edu.