AUSTIN — When Heather Gilbreath, a nurse patient educator at Medical City McKinney, completed her B.S. Nursing degree from WGU Texas, it marked a major milestone for her and a major achievement for WGU Texas as the 10,000th conferred degree.

Gilbreath, of Sulphur Springs, graduated in November and is currently enrolled in the M.S. Nursing Leadership and Management degree program. WGU Texas Chancellor Steven Johnson presented Gilbreath with a $2,500 Healthcare Partners Scholarship in recognition of her accomplishments during a surprise celebration at the hospital.

“It is so great to recognize our 10,000th graduate and be able to celebrate this milestone with Heather.” Chancellor Johnson said. “She epitomizes what we see at WGU Texas every day—students who are improving their lives and the lives of others. We’re pleased to be able to support her through her master's program and look forward to seeing her grow in her career and take on new challenges.”

Since its launch in 2011, WGU Texas has significantly grown the number of college graduates in the Lone Star State by offering high quality, competency-based, online education that is affordable and accessible for non-traditional students. WGU Texas has been helping address the state’s critical workforce needs in high-demand fields such as IT, healthcare, business, and education.

10,700 graduates have earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees with more than 12,000 currently enrolled students. “That’s 10,700 bachelor’s and master’s degrees awarded and thousands of lives changed by the awesome power of education,” said Johnson.

HCA Healthcare affiliate Medical City McKinney is a WGU Texas healthcare industry partner. Through the partnership, employees are eligible to receive tuition discounts and apply for exclusive scholarships.