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AHOSKIE – The Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital Medical Staff Scholarship Committee recently presented awards to five student recipients.

“We are so pleased to award these five deserving students a scholarship to pursue their desire of obtaining a career in the medical field,” said Dr. David Lingle, Chief of Staff at Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital. “After all that we have been through with the global pandemic over the last 16 months, it’s critical that we continue to recruit talented individuals into healthcare that will carry us into the future.”

The scholarship was created in 2016 by the Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital medical staff under the direction of Dr. Lingle and Dr. Madhu Parmar. The scholarship is fully funded by physician donations and awarded through a panel of medical professionals.

“Presenting these scholarships at the ceremony is one of the most gratifying events of the year,” said Dr. Parmar, who chairs the scholarship committee. “The medical staff appreciates the opportunity to give back and support the next generation of health care professionals.”

She, along with others on the committee, partners with area high schools and colleges to seek qualified candidates. The high school scholarship recipients each received $2,000 toward continuing their educational careers. Postgraduate students receive a $500 stipend.

This year’s high school recipients are:

Moriah Lassiter, a graduate of Hertford County Early College, will be attending The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and plans to pursue a degree in nursing.

Mckensie Vann, a graduate of Gates County High School, will be attending East Carolina University with plans to obtain a degree in nursing.

This year’s postgraduate recipients are as follows:

Lauren Harrell, a graduate of Ridgecroft School and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She will be attending UNC School of Medicine in the fall.

Jacob El-Khoury, a graduate of Ridgecroft School and East Carolina University. He will be attending East Carolina School of Dentistry in the fall.

Nathan Askew, a graduate of Ridgecroft School and UNC Chapel Hill. He is currently attending Adam’s School of Dentistry at UNC Chapel Hill.

During the presentation, the Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital Medical Staff Scholarship Committee commended the candidates who applied for the scholarship and boasted about the great work they have demonstrated during their time in high school and college.

“As high school seniors and college students map out their future, we applaud their extraordinary talent which results in a very competitive pool of applicants,” said Dr. Parmar. “Our goal is to continue this work by encouraging graduates to consider rural communities and the numerous opportunities that are present in eastern North Carolina.”

“On behalf of the scholarship committee, our entire medical staff, and hospital President Judy Bruno, we wish all the recipients a successful academic year,” Lingle concluded.

A plaque displaying current and past recipients of the scholarship will be displayed in the hospital.

For more information about the Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital Medical Staff Scholarship Program, contact Jennie Eure, Office of Medical Staff, at 209-3174.