Nursing Scholarships Awarded to Students at UACCM

The Edward Craig Smith Scholarship Foundation recently awarded $24,900 of scholarship money for nursing students at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and Arkansas Tech University. 

(left to right) Nursing Instructor Debbie Rodgers,
scholarship recipient Kathleen Hall, scholarship
recipient Brandi Glover, Edward Craig Smith Foundation
Board Vice President Jamie Toland, scholarship
recipient Morgan Childress, Nursing Dept. Chair Peggy
 Lee, and Nursing Instructor Veirlone Beck.

Recipients from UACCM are Morgan Childress, Atkins: Brandi Glover, Conway: and Kathleen Hall, Conway. The scholarships, in the amount of $2000 each, may be used for tuition and fees, books, or other school-related expenses.

It was the late Edward B. and Pauline Smith’s vision to set up a scholarship foundation to honor their son, Edward Craig Smith, who predeceased them on Dec. 7, 2000.  Although this is the first time the foundation has awarded the scholarships, it is one of the largest private scholarship awards in the Arkansas River Valley.

The scholarships are awarded for one semester and may be renewed each semester by the board of directors. The foundation board includes John Stottman, president; Jamie Toland, vice-president; and Josh Sanford, secretary.  Richard Johnson of Johnson Investment Group manages the scholarship money.

UACCM Nursing Department Chair Peggy Lee said, “The UACCM nursing department is extremely grateful to Edward B. and Pauline Smith for their generosity.  Our students are very appreciative of the scholarship funds that they can use to help finance their college education and to further their nursing careers.  This scholarship not only benefits our students, but also benefits our community by producing nurses who can care for our region’s healthcare needs and aid in meeting our nation’s shortage of nurses.”

A reception was recently held at UACCM to honor the recipients. Several representatives of Johnson Investment Group and Jamie Toland, vice president of the board, traveled to UACCM to present the scholarship awards. 

During the reception, Toland read a biography of the Smith family and explained Edward B. Smith’s vision for the scholarship to the recipients. Smith was a World War II pilot and there is a memorial on display in the lobby of Johnson Investment group in his family’s honor.  The scholarship recipients enjoyed looking through the Smith family photos and learning about Smith’s history.