New Endowed Scholarship Honors Former LCC Nursing Educator Kay Waters

Parsons, KS – The Kay Waters Endowed Nursing Scholarship has been made possible through a generous $10,000 estate gift from the late Kay Waters. The scholarship fund, which will receive a 50% match an from the LCC Foundation’s Hughes Matching Fund, will expand opportunities for aspiring nurses at LCC and continue Kay’s impact on healthcare and education in the region.

Waters devoted her life to nursing and education. She began her nursing career as a public health nurse for the City of Joplin from 1958 to 1967, later serving in the emergency room at Freeman Hospital. In 1970, she was recruited by the first Director of the LCC Nursing Program to help shape the fledgling program. Waters taught nursing courses at LCC for many years before transitioning to teaching Sociology and related coursework. For 26 years, she served the college with distinction as both an instructor and division chair.

After her retirement from LCC in 1996, Waters continued to serve the college as a member of the Board of Trustees, further demonstrating her commitment to student success and educational excellence.

“Kay Waters helped build the foundation of LCC’s Nursing Program and influenced generations of students both in the classroom and through her leadership,” said Lindi Forbes, Executive Director of the LCC Foundation. “We are honored to carry forward her legacy by awarding scholarships in her name to future nurses who share her passion.”

The Kay Waters Endowed Nursing Scholarship will support students pursuing a nursing degree at LCC and can be used to help cover tuition, fees, and/or books. The fund qualifies for a 50% match through the Hughes Matching Fund, an initiative created through a generous gift from the Pete and Mary Hughes estate to inspire others to invest in student success at LCC.

For more information on the Hughes Matching Fund or how to establish an endowed scholarship, please visit www.labette.edu/foundation or contact Forbes at lindif@labette.edu or call 620-820-1212.