ARH Scholars Fall 2018 Winner: Lauren McCurry

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The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Lauren McCurry is setting out to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Originally from Harlan County, Lauren graduated from Harlan County High School as valedictorian. She is now an honors student at Western Kentucky University (WKU) studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. School and community involvement are very important to her as she is the finance assistant of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), the American Sign Language Organization (ASLD), Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, Christian Student Fellowship, and Circle of Sisterhood Foundation.

There have been several influences in Lauren’s life that sparked her interest in the medical field. Both of her parents are healthcare professionals whom she says instilled strong work ethic and dedication to everything she does. In addition, her brother was born with profound to severe lateral hearing loss. She says he has had a major impact on her life and inspired her to enter this field of study.

“All my life I’ve witnessed how [my parents’] careers have allowed them to fulfill their passions for serving others,” Lauren says. “I truly believe that both my parents have a servant heart and this is something I share with them, so I just knew a career in healthcare was for me.”

Lauren gushes about her mother, Terry McCurry, emphasizing what an incredible person and healthcare professional she is and how she has impacted her life in ways she cannot even express.

“My mom is such a hard worker, she loves and cares for everyone she meets,” Lauren says. “She’s a wonderful mom, an incredible wife, a gifted nurse, my best friend and everything that I aspire to be one day. Her impact on my life can best be summarized through the song I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack. When I was a child my mom chose this song to emphasize an important message and my daily reminder to experience the life that I’ve been blessed with. There are so many opportunities out there by which we can learn and grow and help others, so when we get the choice to sit it out or dance, the hope is that we would dance, step out of our comfort zone and take chances that we would not normally take; that we would persevere through the hard times and never give up on our dreams.”

In addition to her family connections to the healthcare field, Lauren has had the opportunity to work closely with Gail Murray, a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for ARH.

“I have had so many opportunities to shadow her,” Lauren says. “She’s been a constant source of encouragement, especially when I applied to the program, and even now that I’m in the program.”

Lauren originally heard about the ARH Scholars program through her mother. As an ARH employee, Terry receives an email newsletter where she saw an ad about the program. Lauren was ecstatic and a bit shocked when she found out she was a winner.

“Funny story, I was actually scrolling through Facebook one morning and I saw a story that ARH posted and I was listed as one of the ARH Scholars,” she says. “I eventually received an email and then letter in the mail. I just remember being so overwhelmed with emotion. ARH has provided so many wonderful opportunities for me and my family over the years, so being selected as a ARH scholar is just icing on the cake for the stage of life I’m in right now. It’s truly an honor and a blessing that will help me to fulfill my dreams of pursuing a career in healthcare.”

After graduation Lauren says she plans to return to her hometown, Harlan, Kentucky, to provide healthcare services to the Appalachian community.

“The sky’s the limit,” she says. “I don’t know what God has planned for me right now. Ultimately my goal is to help improve the quality of life for those in need of healthcare services, specifically those needing speech therapy services.”

Lauren is beyond thankful for the opportunity to become an ARH Scholar and hopes to one day make the same type of impact ARH is making in Eastern Kentucky and Southern West Virginia.

“ARH scholars is such an incredible opportunity to help students that are in the pursuit of education within healthcare,” Lauren says. “It’s also a great opportunity for ARH to encourage the return of professionals to provide quality healthcare within the ARH community. I’m just so thankful for ARH’s dedication and support for college students like myself.”

ARH Scholars Fall 2018 Winner: Sarah Hoskins

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The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Sarah Hoskins grew up in a family full of medical professionals. From a young age her family instilled the importance of working in the healthcare field and the impact they make every day. Her mother, great aunt and cousin all work for ARH. It’s only fitting that Sarah carry on her family’s ARH connection as an ARH Scholar.

“I have a lot of family members who work at ARH, so growing up seeing them helping so many people and enjoying their jobs really inspired me to do the same,” she says.

She graduated from Belle County High School and is now a sophomore nursing major at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) where she is also on the cheerleading team. She is from Middlesboro, Kentucky, where she lives with her father who is a teacher at Yellow Creek School Center, her mother who works for Middlesboro ARH, her brother, and their poodle named Pepper. Spending her entire life in the Eastern Kentucky area has fostered a passion for the community she calls home.

Sarah originally learned about the ARH Scholars program from her mother. She saw a flyer for the program posted at Middlesboro ARH during one of her shifts and encouraged Sarah to apply.

“I felt really relieved and extremely excited when I found out I was an ARH Scholar. I think this program is a wonderful thing that allows students to stress less about the financial aspect of school and focus more on their future careers so they can be the best they can be on their career path.”

“The scholars are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The Scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school.  One is payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 73 applicants with 10 finalists awarded.”

Aside from her family’s extensive medical field background, Sarah’s passion for nursing was sparked after a deeply personal experience with an incredible team of nurses.

“I chose nursing for many reasons, but the main reason is because I saw how nurses at Middlesboro ARH helped my late grandmother through her battle with cancer,” she says. “They were really comforting and treated her with the utmost respect. It really showed me how much of an impact they can have on someone’s life. I want to be that for someone.”

Sarah is excited for the opportunity to make a lasting impact in Eastern Kentucky. After her graduation in 2021 she hopes to obtain a position as a registered nurse, possibly with ARH. She says she is open to furthering her education to become a Nurse Anesthetist and is excited to see where her career takes her.

ARH Scholars Fall 2018 Winner: Nancy Dye

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The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Nancy Dye has always been an incredibly driven individual. At the age of 16 she was able to begin college early as a student at Big Sandy Community and Technical College where she studied nursing. In fall 2017 she began working for McDonald’s where she says she grew a lot as a person and became more independent. By the age of 18 she graduated from BSCTC, something she says she could not have done without the support of her family.

“My family has shaped me into who I am today and I don’t believe I would have made it this far without them,” Nancy says. “They pushed me to make straight A’s when I felt like giving up and taught me that you never succeed unless you try.”

She is excited to begin classes at University of Pikeville this fall pursuing a RN-BSN degree. Her anticipated graduation year is 2023, but she is debating returning to obtain her Master’s Degree.

“I chose nursing because all I’ve worked towards in life is helping other people,” she says. “I want to do something that is challenging, interesting, and rewarding with my future and make a difference in people’s lives on an everyday basis. I feel that the nursing profession would allow me to do exactly that. I want to help people through difficult times and give them the assistance needed when no one else can.”

Nancy says her mother has served as her biggest mentor throughout life and her career. She has served as a constant source of encouragement through every stage of Nancy’s life.

“She’s always told me, ‘You can do anything you dream of as long as you set your mind to it.’ And that couldn’t be more true,” Nancy says. “I’ve lived by this every day, and I’m truly happy with the decisions I’ve made in my life. Thanks to my mom, I’ve been shaped into a successful woman who only dreams of helping others.”

Nancy learned about the ARH Scholars program through Facebook. She is very thankful for ARH’s efforts to spread the word about this scholarship program to inform the largest number of potential applicants possible.

“Since I’ve already graduated [and I’m about to go back to school] I don’t have connections to hear about scholarships anymore,” she says. “I was ecstatic when I found a scholarship related to the medical field that I could actually apply for. It has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders. One of my biggest fears is student loans and ARH Scholars has helped rid me of that. I couldn’t be happier to have received this award.”

“The scholars are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The Scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school.  One is payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 73 applicants with 10 finalists awarded.”

Nancy is excited to begin this journey toward completing her nursing education and making a difference for the people in her community.

“I’m so excited to get out there and help those who need it,” Nancy says. “To me, that’s what life’s all about. Just seeing people in need hurts my soul. I want to be able to give back and step out of my comfort zone. It would be a privilege to help people when they’re most vulnerable and have no one else. I can’t wait to be part of a team whose number one priority is treating patients with the best care.”

Nancy clearly has a passion for nursing. Through her education and training she hopes to become the best nurse she can be, offering care to those who truly need it.

“I want my patients to know how much I care about them and how passionate I am about my work,” she says. “I can’t wait to see the smile on those patients faces that I help. The satisfaction that it will bring me is unbelievable. I could save a life and that itself is an amazing accomplishment and something that I’ll look forward to everyday.”

ARH Scholars Fall 2018 Winner: Conner Leisge

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The Fall 2018 class of Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Scholars includes students from all over the region, in various stages of life with one common goal – to make a difference in healthcare throughout Appalachia. Twice a year, students from across the region are invited to apply for the ARH Scholars program. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship to pursue a degree in healthcare.

Connor Leisge grew up in Harlan County, Kentucky, and he’s setting himself up to give back to that same community. He’s currently enrolled in the College of Dentistry at the University of Kentucky (UK). Connor decided to pursue the medical field in high school after his positive experience with the nurses and doctors who cared for him during a long hospital visit.

“When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a major chest reconstructive surgery done,” Connor says. “I had a condition called pectus excavatum, a birth defect in your sternum which makes it curve inward like you’ve got a hole in your chest. I was very self-conscious about it, which is why it took me so long to seek treatment. While I was in the hospital, the nurses, the doctors, everybody was fantastic. As hard as the experience was physically, emotionally I was perfectly stable because the nurses and doctors were so great.”

Overall, Connor spent 33 days with the medical staff. While many might choose to focus on the obvious negatives of a lengthy hospital stay, post-major surgery, Connor was simply grateful for the caregivers and medical staff who encouraged him daily on his road to healing and recovery.

“That was pretty life changing,” Connor says. “It definitely sparked my interest in the medical field. I wanted to give back and help people’s lives like mine was helped.”

Pursuing higher education in healthcare has always been a goal of Connor’s and he’s thankful to ARH for helping him along this path. His biggest inspiration comes from his grandfather, who instilled in him the determination to pursue this goal.

“At a young age, my grandfather made the importance of education apparent for me and my cousins,” he says. “His story of barely getting through high school but then getting his degree in education and later becoming principal and superintendent in Pineville, Kentucky, was a big inspiration for me.”

This motivation to make higher learning a priority led Connor to dentistry, a field he described as the obvious career path to follow.

“One thing I cherished growing up was that I had very good hand skills,” Connor says. “I loved to draw, I loved artsy things. It just clicked in high school that I had good hand skills and it took good hand skills to be a dentist.”

Connor found out about the ARH Scholars program through his girlfriend, who is also an ARH Scholar. When he found out he won, Connor was delighted ARH valued his determination to give back to his hometown in Harlan through volunteerism and the dental services he hopes to one day provide.

“A lot of people in Harlan that I know can’t wait to get out of here and never come back,” he says. “I’m glad ARH noticed that I feel differently. I want to build it up to be something to be proud of.”

“The scholars are selected by the ARH Scholars Judging Committee,” says Danya Anderson, ARH Scholars Coordinator. “Once I receive the applications, I prepare them to be sent to the committee by making them a ‘blind’ application, which makes it fair for each applicant. The Scholars award is paid in two installments of $2,500 directly to the school.  One is payable after verification and the other is paid the following year. For this round, we had 73 applicants with 10 finalists awarded.”

So far on his route to becoming a dentist, Connor has volunteered with Mission Lexington, an organization dedicated to giving dental care to Lexington residents at or below the poverty line. He’s also worked with children as part of the dental program at UK, which is important to him, as he wants to act as an inspiration to the future generation of Harlan County.

“I want to point out to kids that just because they’re from somewhere like Harlan, becoming a dentist or a doctor isn’t unobtainable,” Connor says. “If they want to do that, they should go
for it.”

Connor eventually intends to open his own practice in Harlan County, with a mission for his practice to be a positive force in both the community and the medical field overall.

“I want to be able to build relationships with my patients and get rid of the negative stigma of going to the doctor,” he says. “I want to build people’s self-confidence up, to make them healthier physically but also mentally.”