New Scholarship for Nursing Students at UWG

An endowed scholarship has been established at the University of West Georgia that will provide a helping hand to several students in the School of Nursing each year. Derek and Patricia Reynolds created the Reynolds Nursing Education Scholarship to celebrate a field that makes a substantial positive impact on society.

“The students and I appreciate the thoughtfulness and generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds,” said Dr. Kathryn Grams, professor and dean of the School of Nursing. “The scholarships they are funding will support the efforts of our students to become caring and competent nurses.”

The Reynolds consider their gift to be an investment with unlimited potential.

“Nurses are the cornerstone of health care,” said Patricia Reynolds, a perioperative nurse who has served in the role of director of surgical services at several major healthcare facilities throughout the United States. “The field is where our hearts are and we’re glad we can help make a difference.”

The Reynolds donated to UWG because they felt it was important to make an impact on the local level by investing in an institution close to their home. Jim Naughton, executive director of the University of West Georgia Foundation, assured them that impact would be far-reaching.

“This kind of scholarship is what I consider part of the greater good,” said Naughton. “It helps one person initially, but then that person goes on to help many, many others.”

The Reynolds Nursing Education Scholarship will be awarded annually to five nursing majors. They must demonstrate financial need, have an overall minimum grade point average of 2.5 and not qualify for the HOPE Scholarship.

“We were sensitive to make sure that we filled in the gap for some students,” said Derek Reynolds. “Some of them are struggling because they fall just short of meeting certain requirements. This scholarship will fill in the gap that those students are falling through.”