Inspired by generosity, MSU-Meridian nursing students create yearly scholarship
Contact: Marianne Todd
Lindsey and Naylor used their personal savings to establish The Lindsey & Naylor Future Nurses Scholarship, which provides $1,000 annually to one MSU-Meridian nursing student.
“So many people were so generous to bless us,” Naylor said. “We felt like it was only right to bless others.”
The Meridian resident, who now works in the intensive care unit at Ochsner Rush Health, received The Marty and Linda Davidson Endowed Scholarship, The Bower Foundation Scholarship and The MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation, Inc. Annual Scholarship as a student.
“If I didn’t have these scholarships, I would have been in financial debt, and I wouldn’t have been able to succeed in all of my classes,” said Naylor, a mother of two. “Pursuing a career in nursing takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice, and it is a financial burden. I want to do this so other students can focus on their studies. It is all about giving back and paving the way for others.”
Mary Stewart, dean of MSU’s School of Nursing, said Lindsey and Naylor’s actions showcase the spirit of students enrolled in the program.
“We aim to be a community of scholars who extend benefits of higher education and make life better for others,” Stewart said. “Shay and Jasmine have done exactly that.”
Lindsey, who lives in Hattiesburg with her husband and is considering positions in psychiatric and intensive care nursing, also received The Bower Foundation Scholarship to earn her MSN degree. She worked part-time remotely during MSU-Meridian’s yearlong program and said the scholarship allowed her to devote more time to her education.
“I had been telling my husband how much I wanted to give back,” she said. “This felt like the natural way to go. You never know whose life you’re touching when you give to others.”
For more information about MSU-Meridian’s School of Nursing, visit www.nursing.msstate.edu.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters.