TEXARKANA, Texas - Four high-achieving students were recipients of the Marilyn Hunter-Thompson Nursing of Excellence Scholarship on Saturday.
Event Organizer and first cousin of the late Hunter-Thompson, Verna Oates, said this was the scholarship's sixth annual year, which has granted 30 students financial assistance for nursing school.
The scholarship program requires a 3.5 GPA and these four students' ranged from 3.88 to 4.1.
The late Mrs. Hunter-Thompson's husband, Steven Thompson, said she was a dedicated nurse with healing hands who mentored numerous nurses throughout her career.
He said his wife passed away from breast cancer, and he wanted to continue her legacy through this generous nursing scholarship for graduating high school students.
Former Nursing Scholarship Recipient Emoni Anderson started with nursing studies, but her plans changed, and now she is in medical school, studying to be an OB-GYN.
"No matter what pathway I took, they've been supporting me this whole way, and not only did the support stop before I went to college or in the first three months, they've been supporting me through my entire journey," said Anderson. "Ms. Verna, she reaches out to me, she calls me, she asks me how I'm doing, she asks me about my grades; when I told her about my study abroad opportunity, they still helped me financially, emotionally, they still supported me throughout that as well."
Oates said they do what they do because they love nurses, the demand is great and they want to produce great nurses for the future.