Front row, from left, are Brooke Taylor; Elyssa Tompkins, RN; Christina Lee, RN; and Tya Brown. Back row, from left, are Vance Hurst, Jacie Middlebrooks, Keri Brown, Anna Davis, Darrien Carter and Lee Causey.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation recently hosted its second annual Scholarship Luncheon to award five scholarships and the first teacher stipend.

The scholarships were presented as follows: the Hospital Authority Trustee Scholarship, the Diane and Jim Lowry Scholarship, the Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship,  the Colquitt Regional Employee Committee Scholarship, the Rev. J.E. Moak Memorial Scholarship, and the Colquitt Regional Teacher Partnership Stipend Award.

Since 1982, the Hospital Authority Board of Trustees has provided an annual $5,000 scholarship to a citizen of Colquitt County pursuing a career in healthcare. In addition, this scholarship is given in honor of someone who has made a significant impact on the medical community.

Hospital Trustee Chairman, Richard Bass presented this year’s 2018 Hospital Trustee Scholarship award in honor of former Chief Executive Officer Jim Lowry. Lowry served as president and CEO of Colquitt Regional for more than 35 years. “Throughout his tenure, Jim was recognized with awards and was known for his strategic planning abilities, financial expertise, and guidance in rural healthcare statewide,” said Bass.

The Trustee Scholarship was awarded to Anna Davis, a nursing student at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation awarded two donor scholarships at $5,000 each. The Diane and Jim Lowry Scholarship, named after its donors, was awarded to Elyssa Tompkins, RN. Tompkins is currently enrolled at Georgia Southwestern in pursuit of a degree as a nurse practitioner. She is also a registered nurse on the fourth floor at Colquitt Regional.

The Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship was given by the Brooks Sheldon family and named in memory of his parents. Christina Lee, RN, was the recipient of the Jane and Perry Scholarship. Lee is also a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at the hospital. To date, she is pursuing a master’s at Walden University, where she is working towards becoming a family nurse practitioner.

Four students were also selected to receive the Colquitt Regional Employee Committee Scholarship. In order to be eligible for the award, the recipient must be a graduating senior who is also a dependent of a Colquitt Regional employee. This year, a $1,000 scholarship was granted to Tya Brown, Darrien Carter, Mack Crosby, and Jacie Middlebrooks.

 Colquitt Regional Volunteer Services also provides the Rev. J.E. Moak Memorial Scholarship to a graduating senior with plans to pursue a career in healthcare. Keri Brown, daughter of Karole and Danny Brown, as well as Brooke Taylor, daughter of Chiquita Blount Taylor and David Taylor, were the 2018 recipients of this $1,000 scholarship.

In addition to student scholarships, Colquitt Regional also funded two $2,500 Teacher Partnership Stipend Awards. Lee Causey, the C.A. Gray Junior High School recipient, teaches ninth grade biology and applied for this stipend to fund models and manipulative for students to aid in teaching the cellular process. Colquitt County High School recipient Vance Hurst teaches science and applied for the stipend to fund a new robotics team.

“Education is essential to healthcare careers and providing our community with exceptional care,” said CEO Jim Matney. “We are fortunate to be able to offer scholarships such as these to provide financial assistance to individuals who are in the pursuit of a higher education, and bettering our community.”

For more information about scholarships presented by Colquitt Regional, contact Foundation Director Nicole Gilbert, at 229-890-3416 or ngilbert@colquittregional.com.