During the fall semester, Riley Mattson had nine nominations for this award by her fellow students.
One student says, "Riley is one of the most compassionate and loving people I know."
Another student says, "Riley is one of the nicest girls I know. She has a genuine interest in everyone around her, whether they are patients or fellow students."
Someone else stated, "I was in her clinical group for our pediatric rotation and remember that after she spent a day in a neurotrauma unit, she told us during debriefing how she had cared for a young girl who was in a lot of discomfort and whose family and nurse weren't working to comfort her. She sat with the patient on the edge of the bed and comforted her, showing care for the patient and modeling for the patient's family how to provide reassuring care for the patient. This is just one example of Riley going above and beyond to show love and care for the people she's surrounded by."
Other students explained that she has a "contagious smile" and that her positive attitude is what keeps them going throughout the day.