Carley Kirkpatrick
Carley Kirkpatrick, a senior nursing major at Lee University, received the Regional Educational Scholarship from the Tennessee Nurses Foundation for the East Tennessee region.
“I am incredibly proud of Carley and her accomplishments over the last few years in our program,” said Briley Williams, visiting lecturer for Lee’s School of Nursing. “Her motivation and perseverance to succeed in the School of Nursing and fulfill the calling God has placed on her heart, despite facing life’s challenges, are truly worth rewarding! Those qualities undoubtedly played a role in her receiving this scholarship, and we, in the SON, are so proud of her.”
The Regional Educational Scholarship is awarded to an individual in each of the three regions in Tennessee (west, middle, and east) in the amount of $5,000.
Ms. Kirkpatrick, a non-traditional student in her final year of Lee’s nursing program, is a mother of three and grandmother of one. She belongs to the Nurses Christian Fellowship and the Student Nurses Association. Outside of school and work, Ms. Kirkpatrick runs a non-profit organization, Adrian’s Attic, created in memory of her late brother. Through this initiative, she is able to provide free prom and formal wear to teens in need within the community.
“Thanks to TNF’s generous support, I am one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a nurse,” said Ms. Kirkpatrick. “This scholarship has lifted the financial burden of tuition, allowing me to focus fully on my final year of schooling. This investment in my education means the world not only to me, but also to the patients and families I will one day serve.”
After graduation, Ms. Kirkpatrick plans to pursue a nurse practitioner degree to further her mission of delivering compassionate care to older adults, particularly in geriatric and hospice settings.
The Tennessee Nurses Foundation is an organization formed by the Tennessee Nurses Association, which advocates for nursing research and excellence. Its mission is to elevate the professional image of nursing, support higher education, facilitate leadership development, encourage nursing research, and promote the professional health and well-being of nurses.
For more information about the Tennessee Nurses Foundation, visit tnurses.care/TNF.
For more information about Lee’s School of Nursing, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/nursing/.