MUSC Celebrates College of Nursing Scholarship Recipients

In the past year, one million dollars and counting have been awarded to the College of Nursing students, for a total of 516 scholarships – a record thus far. To commemorate this phenomenal milestone, in the fall of 2016, nearly 100 scholarship recipients were invited to an afternoon reception. The ceremony presented a special opportunity for recipients of 27 different scholarship programs to meet the donors behind these scholarships who have profoundly impacted their education and future careers.
Three scholarship recipients, Colin Quashie, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidate, Cheryl Allen, a Doctor of Nursing Practice candidate, and Hannah Kloch (pictured above, left), an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidate, spoke to the crowd about what their scholarship meant to them and shared personal stories. Gail Stuart, Dean and Distinguished University Professor for the College of Nursing expressed how much scholarships are an important and integral part of most nursing journeys.
“Often a lack of resources stands in the way of potential students who want to pursue a nursing degree, or registered nurses who are looking for a way to take their education to a higher level. These scholarships can make all the difference to our deserving students.”
It is through programs like the Thaddeus Bell MD Scholarship and the Faith Jefferson Hohloch Nursing Scholarship that Coastal Community Foundation is able to help put students one step closer to their medical dreams.
Created in 1999, the Faith Jefferson Hohloch Scholarship Endowment was established by Dr. Faith Hohloch, who was a pioneer of excellence and teaching in nursing. Having served as both associate and interim Dean for the College of Nursing from 1979-1986, Hohloch was dedicated to the medical world and passionate about the education of nurses. Today, the scholarship is available to students who have been accepted or enrolled in a two or four-year institution and working towards a degree in Nursing.
The Thaddeus John Bell Scholarship Endowment was created with the Foundation in 2006. Honoring the decades of medical services and civic contributions provided by Dr. Bell, the scholarship is available to African American students at MUSC. Considering only four percent of the physician population in South Carolina are African American, Dr. Bell’s efforts aim to raise this low statistic. Dr. Bell, once Director of the Office of Diversity at MUSC, recognized that many African American students were first-generation health care professionals in crucial need of financial support. Though he retired from MUSC in 2010, Dr. Bell continues to take an active interest in the future of its students through his endowment and annual Lowcountry Jazz Festival, with proceeds funding the scholarship.
Having fueled the Nursing pipeline for 125 years, MUSC has much to be proud of. According to US News and World Report, the medical university is the highest ranked college of nursing in South Carolina, with 93 percent of graduates finding employment within four months of graduating, and 90 percent of graduates remaining in South Carolina.
“We remain most grateful to the Coastal Community Foundation for its steadfast support of the College,” wrote Dean Stuart in a letter to the Foundation. “With your organization’s continued involvement, the future is very bright indeed.”
Follow the good work of MUSC’s College of Nursing at www.musc.edu/nursing.  And to learn about Coastal Community Foundation’s scholarship opportunities, please click here.