Empowering future nurses: The Dondanville Family Scholarship

Joseph Dondanville, BSBA’78, remembers sitting anxiously at the kitchen table as a 5-year-old, awaiting his first stitches. His father, the late Dr. Joseph M. Dondanville, calmly prepared his tools, offering steady words of reassurance.

For Joe, that memory stands as a symbol of the Dondanville family’s legacy of compassionate care. To honor this, he and his wife, Joany, have established the Dondanville Family Endowed Scholarship in Creighton’s College of Nursing.

“I never really knew how I could make a difference,” says Joe. “But now I do. I want to leave a lasting legacy in education because my father believed so strongly in it.”

Joe grew up in Alton, Illinois, one of nine children in a large Catholic family. His parents, Joseph and Lorelie Dondanville, instilled a deep commitment to education and service. 

Acts of kindness were a hallmark of their household. “My father always found ways to quietly help those in need,” Joe recalls. “Whether it was assisting a family after their home burned down or discreetly tucking $100 bills into a book for someone struggling, he was always ready to lend a hand.”

All the Dondanville children pursued higher education. By the time he was 8, Joe’s oldest sister had graduated from college and started her nursing career. With a father who was an anesthesiologist, two sisters in nursing, a brother in dentistry, and another sibling working as a lab technician, Joe grew up surrounded by a deep commitment to healthcare.

“My sisters’ dedication to nursing over five decades and my own experiences in the hospital have shown me the critical role nurses play. They do more than provide care — they’re the foot soldiers, offering comfort, strength, and even spiritual support.”

Scholarships are the No. 1 fundraising priority for Creighton's Forward Blue campaign. Nearly all Creighton students rely on scholarships or financial aid, and they’re among the top deciding factors for those who choose Creighton. Through their scholarship, Joe and Joany aim to ease the financial burden for nursing students on the University's Omaha and Phoenix campuses.

"A named scholarship is a powerful testament to the values and vision of its donors,” says Jessica Clark, DNP, RN, Dean of the College of Nursing.

“The Dondanville Family Scholarship will not only support dedicated nursing students in achieving their aspirations but will also enable them to make a profound, lasting impact on the lives of patients. I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to Joe and Joany for their remarkable generosity and commitment to shaping the future of healthcare."

Joe attended Catholic grade school and high school before graduating from Creighton in 1978. His sister, Susan Dondanville Peterson, BS'70, also attended Creighton, earning a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences before pursuing a teaching career.

Standing at 6’5” and an avid athlete, Joe initially considered playing college basketball or attending the University of Illinois. He ultimately chose Creighton for its size and strong academic programs. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was exactly where he belonged.

“It was a fortuitous event, ending up at Creighton,” Joe reflects. “The education and relationships I built here shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined.”

While pursuing a business degree, Joe immersed himself in campus life. He joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon intramural basketball team, cheered during historic games — like Creighton’s victory over Larry Bird in 1978 — and built friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

“At Creighton, everyone worked to make you a better person,” says Joe. “It wasn’t about changing the world; it was about being the best you can be.”

This philosophy carried Joe through a successful career in accounting and finance. After starting at Arthur Andersen & Co., he joined RLI, a specialty property and casualty insurance company, in 1984 as chief accountant. He was promoted to CFO in 1992 and later named senior vice president in 2002, a position he held until his retirement. 

Today, Joe and Joany reside in Arizona. They have three children who pursued careers as a CPA, a social worker, and a clinical psychologist. 

Looking back, Joe credits Creighton for setting him on the right path. “Education opens so many doors. My success in life is due to Creighton—the right time, right circumstances. I can’t imagine what life would have been without it.”