Colquitt Regional recently awarded the recipients of its healthcare scholarships at the ninth annual Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation Scholarship Luncheon.
On May 13, Colquitt Regional honored 24 recipients at the Ameris Bank Medical Education Center at Colquitt Regional Medical Center. The total amount given to those recipients through scholarships and grants exceeded $88,000.
“We look forward to this event every year,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney. “It is always inspiring to present these scholarships to students who are working towards their future careers in healthcare and our employees who are committed to furthering their education and skillsets.”
Since 1982, the Hospital Authority Board of Trustees began providing an annual $5,000 scholarship to a citizen of Colquitt County pursuing a healthcare career. This scholarship is given in honor of an outstanding individual who has made a lasting impact in the healthcare field and in the community. The Hospital Authority named Dr. Jim Keith as this year’s honoree.
Dr. Keith was appointed to the Hospital Authority of Colquitt County in 2011 and served nine years, including as chairman of the Finance Committee. During his tenure, Colquitt Regional raised over $5 million through the Georgia HEART rural tax credit program and secured a $750,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to help launch its psychiatry residency program.
The 2025 Hospital Authority Trustee Scholarship for Healthcare Studies was presented to Abigail Ard. Ard is a Colquitt County native and is in the Physician Assistant program at Cedarville University, where she is preparing for a career dedicated to rural healthcare.
The 2025 Hospital Authority – PCOM South Georgia Scholarship was awarded to Emily Reagin, a Hahira native and second-year medical student at PCOM South Georgia. Established in 2021, this $5,000 scholarship supports a South Georgia native pursuing a medical degree at the Moultrie-based campus. Reagin plans to specialize in Family Medicine and is committed to providing compassionate care to patients in rural communities.
The Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation awarded four donor scholarships at $5,000 each. The Diane and Jim Lowry Scholarship, named after its donors, was presented to Beylee Bozeman. Bozeman has been an employee of Colquitt Regional since 2021 and currently serves as a registered nurse in the ICU. She is continuing her commitment to excellence in patient care by pursuing a Master of Science degree in Nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner at Georgia Southwestern State University.
In addition, the Lowry’s extended their scholarship dollars through the Foundation to fund The Diane and Jim Lowry Colquitt County High School Scholarship and a Lowry ROTC Scholarship, both $1,000 each. Tanner Grant and Cason Haskins were named and recognized as the recipients of the Diane and Jim Lowry Colquitt County High School Scholarship. Alexis Meza received the Lowry ROTC Scholarship. Grant is a graduating senior from Colquitt County High School and plans to pursue a degree in sociology from Valdosta State University. Haskins is a graduating senior from Colquitt County High School and plans to study civil engineering at Georgia Southern University. Meza is a graduating ROTC student from Colquitt County High School and will be attending Valdosta State University to pursue a degree in nursing.
The Jane and Sam Perry Scholarship, given by the Brooks Sheldon family in memory of his parents, was awarded to Qu’Sanna Sharp. Sharp works in the Dialysis Clinic at Colquitt Regional and has been with the organization since 2018. She is actively pursuing her Master of Science degree in Nursing from South University.
The Anne and Monty Carlton Family Scholarship, given by the Carlton family, was presented to Olivia Simpson, NP. Simpson joined Colquitt Regional in 2023 and currently works with Ukpong Cardiology Services. She is pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Frontier Nursing University.
The Doris Spry and Laverne Nash Scholarship, given by Debbie and Dr. Robert Brown, was presented to both Austin Counts and Eli Whitaker. Counts is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and has been accepted to St. John Fisher University, where he will pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. His long-term goal is to return to Colquitt County and serve the community as a pharmacist. Whitaker is also a student at the University of Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He is currently completing his Master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences. Next year, he will begin a dietetic internship with Morrison Healthcare, aiming to become a registered dietitian and ultimately serve as a school nutrition director.
Six students were chosen for the Colquitt Regional Employee Committee Scholarship. To be eligible, the recipient must be a graduating senior who is also a dependent of a Colquitt Regional employee. This year, a $2,000 scholarship was awarded to Da’Ria Collins, Sam Dryden, Meghan Moncrief, Rece Poole, Ezra Walters, and Lauren Wogan.
Each year, the Colquitt Regional Volunteers award the Rev. J.E. Moak Memorial Scholarship, and it is given to a graduating senior of Colquitt County with plans to pursue a career in healthcare. The 2025 recipient is Sara Cooper.
The Kate Jeter Scholarship is worth $2,000 and is given by Rosalind and Jimmy Jeter in memory of their daughter, Kate Majors Jeter. Each year, The Jeters select multiple graduates from Colquitt County High School who demonstrate good grades and plans to continue their education. The 2025 recipients are Blaine Autrey, Lucas Babb, Sara Cooper, Ada Craft, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.
This year, the Foundation was proud to introduce two new scholarships made possible by the generosity of the King family. Inspired by the care his parents received at Colquitt Regional, Moultrie native Todd King established the $5,000 King Family Scholarships to support the continued education of the health system’s dedicated nursing staff.
Our first recipient of the King Family Scholarship, Brittany Moore, has been a Licensed Practical Nurse for 16 years and currently serves at Colquitt Regional Senior Care & Rehabilitation. She is pursuing her Associate of Science in Nursing at Southern Regional Technical College. The second recipient, Ariel Nobles, is a nurse extern at Colquitt Regional who is also working toward her Associate of Science in Nursing at Southern Regional. She dreams of working in labor and delivery and eventually becoming a Nurse Midwife.
Colquitt Regional also presented Teacher Partnership Grant to 12 educators in Colquitt County.
Ashley Lagaspi of Colquitt Co. High School, Stacy Davenport of CA Gray Jr. High School, and Elizabeth Greene of Colquitt Christian Academy received grants of up to $2500 to fund their classroom projects. Grants of up to $1000 were given to Sarah Thomason (Doerun Elementary School), Kim Yarbrough (GEAR), Emily Summerlin (Hamilton Elementary School), Lindsey Wright (Norman Park Elementary School), Stephanie Gibbs (Odom Elementary School), Eric Wingate (R.B. Wright Elementary School), Courtney Almond (Stringfellow Elementary School), Tina Zeigler (Sunset Elementary School), and Erica Player (Willie J. Williams Middle School).
“Several years ago, we decided that not only was it important for us to support our students and employees, but also the teachers in Colquitt County who dedicate themselves to educating our children,” said Hospital Authority Chairman John Griffin. “Through these grants, teachers will be able to provide learning activities and projects that go beyond the standard curriculum in the subjects that are crucial to healthcare, such as science and math.”
In addition to these awards, Colquitt Regional proudly recognized the inaugural class of a new dual enrollment Practical Nursing program—a collaboration between Colquitt Regional Medical Center, the Colquitt County School District, and Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC). This program allows students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a Practical Nursing diploma, preparing them to take the NCLEX-PN licensing exam and begin their careers as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) immediately after graduation. It is with great pride that we recognize these seniors and future employees of Colquitt Regional: Laney Baird, Kendall Meeks, and Leah Yearby.
For more information on Colquitt Regional healthcare scholarships, please contact the Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation at 229-890-3416.
