2020 Endowed scholarships
On December 1, 2020 our Foundation celebrated the announcement of 4 new endowed scholarships for the LSU Health Sciences Center.
It is an honor to acknowledge these gracious donors who made these endowments possible. Every gift to LSU Health Shreveport helps to enhance excellence on our campus. But endowed gifts are unique because they support both today’s initiatives and tomorrow’s vision in perpetuity. We are extremely grateful to the donors of these gifts for recognizing the value of creating these endowed funds.
Tommy Brown, MD
Endowed Scholarship for Medical Students
The Shreveport medical community lost a beloved physician in Dr. Tommy Brown, who lost his battle with heart disease in December of 2017. To all who knew him, Dr. Brown was an outstanding cardiologist and an avid outdoorsman who was equally as comfortable in the operating room as he was in the duck blind. After his passing, two of Dr. Brown’s closest friends, Dr. Corky Davis and Mike Echols honored his memory by raising funds for a scholarship in his name.
The scholarship created in Dr. Brown’s memory will provide four years of support for a medical student from a rural area who demonstrates a strong work ethic, and if possible, share his love of the outdoors.
Thank you to Dr. Brown’s family, friends, and colleagues. We know his legacy will live on through the recipient of this scholarship and all who knew him.
Margaret Shehee Cole
Endowed Scholarship for Inclusion, Diversity, and Excellence in the School of Allied Health Professionals
Margaret’s husband, David, has been in physical and occupational therapy at the Faculty Rehabilitation Clinic in the School of Allied Health since 2012. As a show of gratitude for the care he has received, Margaret and David decided a to create an endowed scholarship that would provide a pathway for students from economically disadvantaged or underrepresented populations to pursue a degree in the Allied Health professions.
This scholarship – the first endowed scholarship for the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professionals – will allow underrepresented students – whether rural, minority or first-generation students – an opportunity to pursue a career path they may not have considered due to financial constraints or other barriers. Margaret and David hope that the students impacted by this scholarship will showcase the potential in these professions and help others see that anyone can achieve a career in these fields.
We are incredibly grateful to generous donors like Margaret Shehee Cole and David Cole for their foresight to establish this scholarship and the hope it will bring to future students.
Sandra and Jerry Martin
Endowed Scholarship for Medical Students
Dr. Cindy Martin, a ’98 graduate from the LSU School of Medicine, has a passion for supporting small-town students like herself and credits her parents, Sandra and Jerry, for inspiring her to obtain the best education possible. Dr. Martin first created this endowment that was matched by the Louisiana Board of Regents in 2018. But Dr. Martin wanted to do more. So she quickly completed another pledge in 2019 to fund a second endowed scholarship and the Board of Regents graciously matched it as well. In fact, Dr. Martin has pledged to continue supporting scholarships at LSU Health Shreveport for as long as she is able, and for that we are beyond grateful.
Thank you Dr. Martin for your vision to inspire future generations of young people from small towns in Louisiana to pursue a career in medicine.
Lester Wayne Johnson Family
Endowed Scholarship for Medical Students
Dr. Lester Wayne Johnson has served on the faculty of LSU Health Shreveport in Monroe for 24 years and assumed the position of Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs on July 1, 2016. A well-respected surgeon both locally and nationally, Dr. Johnson has made his home and practice in Northeast Louisiana his entire life. This scholarship will be used to attract exceptional candidates from Louisiana to enroll in LSUHS School of Medicine and offset a portion of the financial barrier facing students wishing to enter the medical profession.
We are grateful to the Johnson family for making this scholarship possible.
If you are interested in creating an endowed scholarship for one of the three schools at LSU Health Shreveport, please contact:
Sara Krzywanski, Director of Development: 318.861.0855 [email protected]
Or
Jesse Gilmore, VP for Development: 318-861-0855 [email protected]
920 Pierremont Road • Suite #506
Shreveport, LA 71106
Office: 318-861-0855
Fax: 318-861-2855