A recent Lander University nursing graduate has created a scholarship to express her gratitude to a nursing professor who, she said, made a difference in her life.
Before graduating in May, Jessica Suber Hall, a native of Kinards, established the nursing scholarship in the name of assistant professor Leslie MacTaggart Myers. Hall was a student in several classes taught by Myers. They included child bearing and women's health, which, along with pediatric nursing, are the medical specialties Hall wants to make the focus of her career as a family nurse practitioner.
In August, Hall is scheduled to enroll at the Medical University of South Carolina in a program that will lead to a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP).
Myers, who has a DNP from the University of South Carolina, was shocked and honored when Hall broke the news about the scholarship. "It was the best honor I could ever receive," she said.
Hall described Myers as a mentor, role model and friend. "She was my adviser and is an inspiration to all of her students."
Because she had received scholarship assistance while at Lander, Hall said she wanted to give back to the university, the nursing department and Myers for giving her so much.
To be eligible for the Myers scholarship, candidates must be senior nursing students who will pursue graduate studies in nursing and are active in Lander's Student Nurses Association chapter. Hall was a member of the chapter and served as its president.
In April, she and three of her nursing classmates were among 40 Lander students inducted into the Alpha Chi national honor society in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements. She is also a member of the Blue Key Honor Society.
While at Lander, Hall received practical nursing experience as an assistant in the labor and delivery unit at Self Regional Healthcare's Women's Center. She also volunteered at Clinica Gratis in Greenwood. Myers is the director of the clinic, which provides free medical services for low-income residents. "She is amazing, a go-getter, and will make a difference in nursing," Myers said.
The daughter of Tammy and Jim Suber of Kinards, Hall has two sisters, one older and one younger. Last December, she married her high school sweetheart, Christian Hall of Whitmire, and the couple lives in Fayetteville, N.C., where he is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army stationed at Ft. Bragg. She works as a registered nurse in the family centered care unit at Cape Fear Medical Center in Fayetteville.
Because the doctoral program MUSC offers is Internet-based, Hall will be able to study and complete requirements for a doctorate online.
Hall was the most recent of several family members to attend Lander beginning with her great-grandmother Mildred Cochran Suber, who graduated in 1923. Her younger sister, Jordan, will follow in their footsteps when she enrolls in Lander's pre-nursing program in September.
Contributions to the Dr. Leslie MacTaggart Myers Scholarship may be made payable to The Lander Foundation and mailed to the Office of University Advancement, Lander University, 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, S.C. 29649. The office can also provide information on how to establish scholarships.