Memorial scholarship established at Tennessee Technological University to benefit nurse practitioner students

A new memorial scholarship, the Haven Hill Hudson Memorial Scholarship, is available to students who are on the path toward becoming nurse practitioners through Tennessee Technological University. The scholarship was established by the late Haven Hill Hudson’s husband and children to honor her memory as a dedicated nurse practitioner. The scholarship has been awarded to its first recipient, a graduate student in Tennessee Tech’s nurse practitioner program.

According to an article on Tennessee Tech’s website, Dr. Toney Hudson, Haven Hill Hudson’s husband, explained the reasons he and his children decided to set up the scholarship in his wife’s honor. He is quoted as saying, “My children and I felt this would be a way to carry on Haven’s legacy and memory. She was devoted to her family and her profession. We know there is a tremendous need for nurses in our region and beyond, and we felt like this would be a good way to fulfill that need.”

Haven Hill Hudson grew up in a rural area of Mississippi and was told by her school counselor, her husband said, that she wasn’t “college material.” She was determined to prove that she was in fact meant to go to college, and attended Blue Mountain College and the Baptist School of Nursing at Baptist Hospital, eventually becoming a registered nurse, working first in a coronary care unit and then in her husband’s internal medicine practice as an oncology nurse.

In addition to her work in active nursing, Haven was also involved with the community as a founding board member of the Young Life of the Upper Cumberland, a volunteer at the Cookeville Pregnancy Clinic, and was deeply involved in the first Teen Challenge program.

Toney’s great respect for nurses does not only stem from his wife being one, but in his capacity as the chief medical officer for Interstate Health, he has seen Tennessee Tech producing exceptional nurses. He said, “I’ve always had a great deal of respect for nurses, and not just because my wife was a registered nurse. I have gained even more esteem and admiration for the quality of the nurses who graduate from Tech. It’s absolutely an incredible program.”

Speaking of the strength of the program, he also added that he hopes anyone who graduates from the program will consider staying in the area to continue strengthening the area’s healthcare community. He said, “This is a great place to live. Anytime we can recruit really great people to this area, this raises the bar for all of us. It’s a blessing to have a nursing program right here in Cookeville. I think sometimes we take that for granted. Tech’s Whitson-Hester School of Nursing offers a tremendous education, and the staff are outstanding. Dean Kim Hanna is one of the most delightful, intelligent, motivated people I’ve ever met in terms of her leadership and skills. She relates extremely well to the diverse population in this region.”

Kourtney Roberts Mann is the first recipient of the Haven Hill Hudson Memorial Scholarship. She is currently a graduate student in Tennessee Tech’s nurse practitioner program, and has shared her gratitude for the Hudson family and for the example Haven has set for her. She said, “I am so grateful to be the first recipient. This scholarship has helped me focus on my education and build a strong foundation as an advanced practice nurse. I am thankful for Dr. Hudson and his family’s support and generosity. It is so special that this scholarship is in memory of Haven who was an inspirational nurse. I hope to have a positive impact on our community just as she did.”

Toney intends to continue meeting with every student who earns the Haven Hill Hudson Memorial Scholarship to help them understand his wife’s legacy. He said, “I want them to understand how compassionate she was and how much love and passion that she had for faith, her family, her profession and her community. When I went to medical school, I learned the science of medicine. My life with Haven taught me the art of medicine.”

Dean Kim Hanna of the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing also shared her gratitude for the scholarship and the impact it will have on her students. She is quoted as saying, “Dr. Toney Hudson is a man of integrity who is truly passionate about the provision of quality healthcare within our community, the Upper Cumberland, state and beyond. He is strategic, innovative and motivated in his approach. I have been very impressed with his humble, professional demeanor as well as his personal dedication to his family. This scholarship is a tribute to his loving wife, her profession as a nurse and those advanced practice nursing student recipients who will be financially supported by his gift.”

For more information about Tennessee Technological University, visit the school’s website.