By STACY PARKER
By Stacy Parker
Correspondent
OCEANFRONT
Helping others is at the heart of nursing. In keeping with the profession’s compassionate quality, two nurses’ legacies live on through the giving of annual scholarships for nursing education.
The Mary Meyer and Alice Pyle Memorial Scholarship Foundation provides two $2,000 scholarships each year to help students pursue a career in nursing.
Kelly Shields and Lauren Murphy of Virginia Beach received the 2008 scholarship checks at an award presentation Sept. 9. Ameriprise Financial sponsored the reception at Town Center City Club.
“We feel that it’s a wonderful tribute to our mothers and they’d be humbled by this ongoing contribution to our community on their behalf,” said Dr. Pamela Pyle , a Virginia Beach obstetrician and gynecologist.
Her mother, Alice Pyle met Mary Meyer in 1970. The military wives and registered nurses became neighbors. They were also volunteers at the Virginia Beach Health Clinic and helped with many outreach programs.
Meyer, who was a nursing supervisor at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, died in 1994 at age 60 from lung cancer. The original scholarship fund was established in her honor .
Two years later, Alice Pyle also died at age 60 from cancer.
“With the blessing of the Meyer family, her name was added to the nursing scholarship,” said Dr. Pyle.
The initial scholarship was awarded in 1995. To date, 22 recipients have received a total of $39,000.
Kelly Shields of Princess Anne is studying organizational leadership and management at Regent University. She is manager of the recovery room and anesthesia at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.
Receiving the scholarship has been a “blessing,” she said, and a big help in continuing her studies. Shields graduated from Kempsville High School in 1985 and has worked at the Beach hospital since 1991. She is a mother of two.
“I enjoy management,” said Shields, who added that her nursing perspective will influence her approach to administration and her leadership decisions in a positive way.
Lauren Murphy , who is pursuing a nursing degree at James Madison University and is from the Oceanfront area, also received $2,000.
Her mother, Lynn Murphy , a former nurse at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, accepted the scholarship on behalf of her daughter who was away at school.
Lynn Murphy helped care for Mary Meyer when she was treated for cancer at the hospital, and she reunited with Meyer’s family at the reception.
Lauren Murphy graduated from Bishop Sullivan Catholic High in 2006 and said she has always been interested in health sciences.
“My ultimate goal is to be a nurse practitioner,” she said. “I’ve always had in my head that I want to heal people.”
In addition to the two annual recipients, a third person was awarded a scholarship. Lydia Gonzalez received funding toward nursing school in Chiapas, Mexico, where Pyle recently volunteered at a health clinic.
For more information about the scholarship, contact Dr. Pamela Pyle at 425-2612 or [email protected].
Stacy Parker, [email protected]
Originally published by BY STACY PARKER.
(c) 2008 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
Comments