UNCW Nursing Student Joins Fellowship

Since high school, Cassidy King knew that she wanted to pursue a career in nursing. “My grandma was a Certified Nursing Assistant and my mom’s an ultrasound tech, so I grew up around healthcare. But I didn’t really have a nurse in the family. I knew I wanted to help people and nursing just felt like the right way to do that,” she said.

Now King is a senior set to graduate this May. Recently, she was selected as one of the first students to join the Coastal Community Healthcare Fellowship. Launched in January, the Coastal Community Healthcare Fellowship (CCHF) is a collaborative initiative between Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) and UNCW that brings nursing students together in a program that emphasizes mentorship by providing stipends to recent graduates who commit to guiding and supporting prospective and future healthcare professionals. This effort is part of a broader strategy to foster leadership and enhance professional development to the healthcare field in New Hanover County. CCHF is supported by the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership powered by the New Hanover Community Endowment.

Leneice Rice serves as the Fellowship’s program manager and is responsible for developing the personal and professional experiences of the CFCC and UNCW fellows. she said of King’s admittance to the program, “Cassidy is the kind of future nurse every community dreams of—compassionate, grounded, and deeply committed to making a difference. From the moment I met her, it was clear that she brings not only exceptional dedication to her clinical work, but also a heart for service that reflects the very soul of the Coastal Community Healthcare Fellowship. Her passion for pediatric care and her unwavering connection to New Hanover County speak volumes about her character and her calling.”

Additionally, King has accepted a job in Novant Health’s New Grad Nurse Residency Program where she will work in acute adult health on step-down floors. This RN residency program allows new nursing school graduates the time to gradually assume the duties and responsibilities that accompany the nursing role at our organization.  “It’s exciting, everything is coming together at once,” King said. She plans to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, a path that will allow her to provide holistic, continuous care.

“Cassidy doesn’t just want to provide care—she wants to transform lives, especially for the youngest and most vulnerable among us,” Rice said. “She embodies everything CCHF stands for: community-rooted, purpose-driven, and committed to excellence.  I have no doubt she will leave a lasting impact on the families and the future of this region.”