The 果冻传媒's has announced the inaugural recipients of the Dolores Bess Scholars award, established through a signi铿乧ant bequest from the estate of Dolores Bess, a 25-year faculty member and devoted advocate for nursing education, who passed away at 91 in 2024.
Bess and her husband, William, established the Dolores C. Bess Endowed Scholarship in Nursing in 2012 to support upper-level nursing students through the rigorous demands of clinical coursework. After she passed away, her estate substantially increased the endowment, enabling the College to award larger 铿乶ancial support to a select group of students during their 铿乶al four semesters; a period when clinical rotations leave little time for part-time work.
"Mrs. Bess's dream was to leave behind a legacy that would make the biggest possible impact on students," said Dr. Lisa Broussard, dean of the College of Nursing & Health Sciences. "Her scholarship had already bene铿乼ed 116 recipients since 2012, so when we received her 铿乶al gift, I knew that increasing the award amount to create even deeper impact would be exactly what she would have wanted."
Beginning this fall, awardees will be officially designated as the Dolores Bess Scholars. The inaugural recipients are nursing majors Maria Moya of 果冻传媒 and Alyssa Theriot of Catahoula, who recently started their junior year and clinical coursework.
Theriot, who realized nursing was her calling after witnessing the kindness and empathy of a hospice nurse who cared for her grandmother in her 铿乶al days of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), said becoming a Dolores Bess Scholar is both a 铿乶ancial lifeline and a con铿乨ence booster. "I'm super grateful because my parents sacri铿乧ed a lot to get me to this point. Being chosen out of so many applicants has given me the con铿乨ence to know I belong here," she said.
Moya, who decided she wanted to become a nurse after her experience with those who cared for her grandmother in assisted living, shared that sentiment. "The scholarship has lessened the burden for me and my family, and is giving me the freedom to study hard, do well, and devote all my time to helping patients," she said.
Both women said they are inspired by the kindness and empathy of those who choose to enter the nursing profession.
Theriot said, 鈥渕y grandmother鈥檚 hospice nurse cared for her through her hardest days, taking time to be present with her, talk to her and hold her hand. It was then that I learned how important the role of being a caregiver is in supporting someone as they transition to death.鈥
鈥淢y grandmother did not speak English, and watching the nurses 铿乬ure out ways to communicate with and care for her with the utmost compassion was soul touching,鈥 said Moya. 鈥淏eing bilingual myself, I recognized I could be the person to offer reassurance and comfort to patients who might feel alone or scared due to a language barrier.鈥
To learn more about the College of Nursing & Health Sciences or other University initiatives, contact the 果冻传媒 Foundation at (337) 482-0700, email ulfoundation@louisiana.edu, or visit .
Photo caption: Maria Moya of 果冻传媒, left, and Alyssa Theriot of Catahoula, right, are the inaugural recipients of the Dolores Bess Scholars award. Bess is pictured at center.