Lenoir-Rhyne University

HICKORY — Lenoir-Rhyne University received a $165,000 grant from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation of Atlanta to support undergraduate nursing scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year.

The scholarship program supports undergraduate higher education for women with financial need across the South and maintains a special interest in the medical, nursing and allied health fields. More than a dozen students from the Lenoir-Rhyne school of nursing benefit directly from these awards.

“Scholarships are so important for Lenoir-Rhyne nursing students,” said Kerry Thompson, chairwoman of Lenoir-Rhyne’s school of nursing. “These scholarships help to provide much needed financial resources so that students can complete their dream of becoming a nurse.”

In 2017, 97 percent of the university’s nursing undergraduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination on their first attempt — one of the highest passage rates in the South Atlantic Conference.

“Nursing is a very rigorous, educational program at Lenoir-Rhyne, and it requires many hours of study and application of the content within the clinical environment,” Thompson said. “Many students are not able to work during school because of these requirements and cannot meet all of the financial obligations that they often incur. Thus, scholarships are instrumental in allowing many Lenoir-Rhyne nursing students to be successful. I am very thankful for the generosity of our donors to help make nursing a reality for so many of our students.”

Kailey Hinds, a senior from Mount Holly, said the nursing scholarship has made it possible for her to pursue her education.

“I have dreamed of becoming a nurse since I was in the fifth grade,” Hinds said. “I have grown up going to a Lutheran church and coming to events at Lenoir-Rhyne University, but I did not think at the time I could attend a beautiful university like this one because of the tuition. My dad is a Volkswagen mechanic, and my mom has been sick for seven years and unable to work to help provide for my two younger sisters and me.

“This nursing grant has not only allowed me to pursue my dream, but it has also allowed me to be in one of the best nursing programs taught by phenomenal staff and professors,” Hinds continued. “I am forever thankful and blessed that I had this extraordinary opportunity to grow personally and spiritually. This nursing grant has changed my life for the better by creating a nurse and a confident leader within me.”

Lenoir-Rhyne’s school of nursing is the first fully accredited undergraduate program at a faith-based college or university. To learn more about Lenoir-Rhyne’s school of nursing visit lr.edu/nursing.

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation was founded in 1946 and is dedicated to the support of women in nine southeastern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The foundation devotes most of its resources to the scholarship program, which provides grants to schools and colleges to be used for need-based scholarships for Christian women students. More than 200 accredited educational institutions participate in the Lettie Pate Whitehead scholarship program. Thousands of women receive financial assistance each year in individual amounts determined by the recipient institutions.