Volunteer Services at East Cooper Awards Scholarships

Jul 7, 2015
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – June 3, 2015 – Fourteen local students have been awarded $1,000 scholarships from the Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization at East Cooper Medical Center. The students will be attending South Carolina universities including USC, Clemson University, Trident Technical College, Charleston Southern University and Coastal Carolina University.

This year’s recipients of the $1,000 scholarships are: Kimberly Baldwin, Sean Brady, Kyle Brady, Nic Elrod, Andrea Kurt, Katherine Nickels, Taylor Smalls, Jessica Thompson, Mollie Davidson, Sarah Faulkner, Anna Gazecki, Rita Hirsch, Emily Stafford and Ainsley Wingard. The scholarships were given at East Cooper Medical Center on June 2, 2015 during an intimate gathering and celebration to honor the chosen recipients. CEO, Jason Alexander, and Jan Ledbetter, President of the VSO, congratulated each student on their hard work and wished them continued success in their college career.

“It’s an honor to award these students with scholarships to further their education. It was evident by looking at their applications and essays that these are top-notch students. Our volunteers are thrilled to be helping local students attend college and pursue their dreams,” said Jan Ledbetter. Jessica Thompson, a scholarship recipient, has been volunteering in the East Cooper nursery for over a year. Thompson says, “I’ve learned a lot about people and it’s been such a rewarding experience. I love that one smile (or lame joke) can make someone’s entire day.” Jessica is currently in nursing school at Trident Technical College, and she appreciates the generous scholarship that has been given to her by the Volunteer Services Organization.

The Wishing Well Gift Shop at East Cooper Medical Center is managed by volunteers and each year sales from the gift shop go to local charities, medicines for patients in need, and to fund scholarships for area students. In addition, the VSO also holds several fundraisers throughout the year. To apply for the scholarship, students must complete an application form, provide letters of recommendation and have a cumulative grade point average of B and above. A scholarship committee reviews the applications and chooses the recipients.


East Cooper Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 130-bed acute care hospital located at 2000 Hospital Drive in Mount Pleasant. East Cooper Medical Center has been providing healthcare to the East Cooper community since 1986. We provide a number of services including 24-hour emergency care, women’s services, diagnostic imaging and interventional services, orthopedics, sports medicine, pain care, adult and pediatric rehabilitation services, wound care services and surgical care, including nationally recognized spine surgery and breast reconstruction surgery. East Cooper Medical Center is accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency

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