Houston—Five Texas County Memorial Hospital Youth Ambassadors have received scholarships to help with their academic expenses for the upcoming school year.
Gwen Kincaid of Mountain Grove, Elizabeth Turpin of Cabool and Hannah Tillery of Licking were each awarded $750. Abigail Moncrief of Licking and Ann Gunter of Norwood were each awarded $500. All five recipients are 2020 high school graduates.
Kincaid plans to attend the University of Missouri in Columbia and pursue a dual bachelor’s degree in biology and mathematics. After she finishes her bachelor’s degree, Kincaid plans to attend medical school and become an anesthesiologist.
Turpin plans to attend Missouri State University in West Plains for two years, and then transfer to Missouri State University in Springfield to earn a bachelor’s degree. Turpin hopes to become a physician after she finishes her bachelor’s degree.
Tillery plans to attend Missouri S&T in Rolla and pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology with a pre-med emphasis. After she finishes her bachelor’s degree, Tillery plans to attend medical school and become a virologist.
Moncrief plans to attend East Central College in Rolla to become a registered nurse.
Gunter plans to attend Missouri State University in West Plains and pursue a degree in physical therapy.
Turpin, Tillery, Moncrief and Gunter have all volunteered at TCMH through the Youth Ambassador Program for the past two years, accumulating 300, 200, 150 and 90 volunteer hours, respectively. Kincaid has volunteered through the Youth Ambassador Program for one year and has accumulated 160 hours.
The students have the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of different departments within the hospital.
“There are a lot of different career paths within the hospital that these students can learn about and experience,” Renina Pearce, volunteer services coordinator said.
Funds for the $3,250 in scholarships came from the Youth Ambassador Endowed Scholarship Fund administered by the TCMH Healthcare Foundation.
The Healthcare Foundation set up the fund in 2015 with local community partners and Community Foundation of the Ozarks through the annual “Give Ozarks” day fundraising effort.
Additional scholarship funds for this year were provided through a grant from the Intercounty Charitable and Educational Foundation, The Durham Company, Progressive Ozark Bank, Orscheln Industries Foundation, Inc. and Burch Insurance- Toni McKinney, agent.
With giving efforts from 2020 and previous years, the Youth Ambassador Endowed Scholarship Fund is at $38,000.
Jay Gentry, Healthcare Foundation director, noted that the Foundation is continuing to grow the endowment fund.
This spring was the first year that three $750 and two $500 scholarships have been able to be awarded to the Youth Ambassadors.
Scholarship recipients are asked to fill out an application and write two essays that ask about the student’s future academic and career goals, as well as their involvement in the Youth Ambassadors program.
TCMH Youth Ambassadors are high school juniors or seniors or college students from Texas County, including those from Mountain Grove, Norwood and Eminence. The students are chosen in the fall each year, and are required to volunteer a minimum of four hours each month to remain in the program.
Additional information about the Youth Ambassador volunteer program or the Healthcare
Foundation can be found at www.tcmh.org.
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For additional information, contact:
Rachel Davis, MHA
Director of Public Relations/Marketing
Texas County Memorial Hospital
Phone: 417/967-1258
Fax: 417/967-3764
rachel.davis@tcmh.org