Care, Carried Forward
The Vision
Maine’s communities depend on nurses who bring skill, judgment, and compassion to people at their most vulnerable. Preparing those nurses requires more than rigorous education; it also requires the support that allows talented students to keep moving forward when life becomes difficult. John Goldsworth is helping future USM nurses complete their education, serve their communities, and carry forward the values that defined his beloved wife’s remarkable career.
The Impact
Jane Philbrick Goldsworth knew what it meant for financial support to open a door. Raised in Gorham, she chose Marquette University because it could provide the aid she needed to earn her nursing degree. She later earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and built a 41-year career, including 35 years in emergency nursing.
Jane rose from staff nurse to educator to nurse manager of a Level I Trauma Center. A leader in the Emergency Nurses Association, she was among the first nurses nationally trained to teach its Trauma Nursing Core Course. But the heart of her work was personal: mentoring new nurses and helping them gain the confidence and skill to care for patients in critical moments.
Jane and John initially planned to fund a nursing scholarship and professorship through their estate. Soon afterward, Jane became ill and died in 2022. In the months that followed, John decided that Jane’s legacy should begin helping students now, not someday. He set aside the professorship plan, seeded the Goldsworth Philbrick Endowed Nursing Scholarship, provided for it through his estate, and committed additional funds each year for current scholarships.
In 2025, John extended Jane’s legacy by establishing the Jane Philbrick Goldsworth Award for Excellence in Nursing. His additional $10,000 annual commitment brought his current support to approximately $45,000 each year, while recognizing two graduating seniors who reflect Jane’s compassion, professionalism, integrity, and commitment to lifelong learning. In 2026, he updated his estate plan to support both the scholarship and the award.
For Brianna Webber ’26, both forms of generosity came together during the 2025-26 academic year. A 38-year-old senior, wife, and mother of a young son, Brianna continued nursing school while her husband faced an aggressive, terminal brain tumor. She balanced classes and caregiving amid medical expenses, missed work, and profound uncertainty-while remaining determined to complete her degree and build a stable future for her family.
The scholarship eased some of that financial pressure and helped Brianna stay focused on the goal she had worked so hard to reach. After more than five years as an emergency department technician, she graduated in 2026 with her family by her side. She plans to become an ER nurse, supporting patients and families during moments when reassurance, competence, and compassion matter most.
Brianna was also selected by USM’s nursing faculty as the third recipient of the Jane Philbrick Goldsworth Award for Excellence in Nursing, a recognition that connects her perseverance and promise directly to the qualities Jane embodied throughout her career.
In Brianna’s story, Jane’s legacy comes full circle: one nurse’s opportunity helping another student persist, and one lifetime of compassionate care inspiring the next.