Donors Making a Difference at CCN: Cathy & Ed Rudisill
We at the Capstone College of Nursing are proud to work with generous donors to create new opportunities for our College. Currently, we are in the midst of The Rising Tide Capital Campaign, a University-wide effort to raise a minimum of $1.5 billion in philanthropic support for strategic priorities over a 10-year period. As we continue toward our goals during the Campaign, we are honored to highlight some of our donors’ stories.
In 2021, we were introduced to Ed and Cathy Rudisill who were moving to Tuscaloosa to settle into a life of retirement. Ed was in the process of retiring from an accomplished career as a hand surgeon; and Cathy had enjoyed a full and diverse career path in ambulatory surgical care as a VP of operations in development and management, as restaurant owner and, perhaps most importantly – as a nurse. Both were ready to move near campus and get involved. Since making the decision to move to Tuscaloosa, Cathy and Ed have been involved in various volunteer roles at UA, and we are excited that Cathy joined CCN’s Board of Visitors this fall.
Below, we asked Cathy to share a bit about her and her husband, Ed’s, giving journey.
“The process and outcome of working with UA and CCN has been so incredibly rewarding,” said Cathy. “It has reminded us that after all these years—since my needing financial assistance to attain my college degree—there are still so very many students who are in need… For us, the ability to help these students in any way will be incredibly rewarding.“
Tell us a little bit about your scholarship and what motivated/inspired you to create it.
We spoke to a University employee and alum in hopes they could introduce us to scholarship support opportunities in several of the different colleges within The University. And, we did specifically seek out information regarding ways to support CCN in honor of my mother, the most special person and nurse I have ever known. Once we met with Anita Hamlett and corresponded with Dean Suzanne Prevost, our hearts were settled that committing scholarship support to CCN was a perfect choice to honor my mother.
Another area we were introduced to during that same time is the REACH program, a UA program that provides academic, emotional, and financial support to students who have experience with foster care and/or homelessness. We had the opportunity to meet with and hear the stories of two current REACH students and afterward we both felt that we had to help make a difference for that program.
So, with Anita guiding us, we established the Minnie B. Vickrey Lee scholarship in honor of my mother. The scholarship was created to support a REACH student who attended high school in Alabama and is enrolled in upper division nursing courses; if there is a year when no eligible REACH students are identified, we also set other priorities to help nursing students in need.
Rather than establishing an endowment, you provided funds through a current use scholarship. What does it mean to you, knowing you are making an immediate impact at UA?
My husband, Ed, has never been shy about saying I am an instant gratification person— and I do love immediate results!
We were aware that a number of students working toward their degree may have the desire but not the financial resources to attain their goal, and we felt the current use scholarship might make the difference in them completing their CCN studies and UA degree.
We were thrilled when during our first year of funding the scholarship, an eligible REACH student was admitted to CCN and awarded our scholarship. Her note of thanks to us indeed reinforced our decision to fund the current use scholarship.
What do you want students to know about your giving story?
We’d like them to know how wonderful it is to be able to give back while making a difference in someone’s life. My parents sacrificed so much for me to go to college (as the youngest of six children, I was a first generation student), but scholarships made a huge difference in the successful completion of my degree. I know first-hand what it is like to have very tight funds from a family financial perspective, and so very much appreciate the people who made a difference in my life with their contributions to scholarships.
We’d also like to emphasize that giving financially is not the only impactful way to give back; we have both been involved in volunteer work in our communities including but not limited to time and service at free-medical clinics and multiple community service projects.
What do you want to share with others who may be considering creating a scholarship?
The process and outcome of working with UA and CCN has been so incredibly rewarding. It has reminded us that after all these years—since my needing financial assistance to attain my college degree—there are still so very many students who are in need. Removing some of that financial burden may make the difference in their successful completion of their degree. As we learned, there are many different ways to give; and while the current use scholarship was what best worked for us, the ability to help these students in any way will be incredibly rewarding.
If anyone is considering a giving opportunity, we strongly recommend setting up a conversation with UA representatives; there are so many ways to make a difference. We are honored we have had the opportunity to make an impact in a student’s life.
For more information or to make a gift, contact CCN Senior Associate Director of Development, Anita Hamlett, at ahamlett@ua.edu or 205-348-9876.
To learn more about The Rising Tide Capital Campaign, visit risingtide.ua.edu.
Read other CCN donor stories here: The Woodard Family │Ed and Cathy Rudisill │Cathy Watson │Richard and Donna Urrutia