East Texas Couple Establishes Scholarship for NSU Nursing Students

An east Texas couple has established an endowed scholarship at Northwestern State University to benefit nursing students.

Here's more from an NSU news release:

The fund was established in memory of Philip Richards and in honor of Kathy Richards Thomas. The $1,000 Phillip and Kathy Richards Endowed Nursing Scholarship will be presented to a student seeking a bachelor’s degree in nursing who maintains a 3.0 grade point average.

Donors Pat and David Sistrunk are originally from Shreveport, but retired to Tyler. David Sistrunk and brother-in-law Phillip Richards are graduates of Northwestern State. Kathy Thomas and Pat Sistrunk both attended Northwestern State, but graduated from other universities. A native of Jonesboro, Kathy was a professor at the NSU’s Shreveport Nursing Campus. The Sistrunks strongly support giving back to their community and education.

“When a student chooses to pursue an education, they give themselves the power to change their life,” the Sistrunks said in a statement. “We want our legacy to be that of helping those who come behind us.”

The first Phillip and Kathy Richards Nursing Scholarship will be awarded this fall.