Yarbrough scholarship will fund nontraditional Kennesaw State nursing students

A longtime nurse’s memory will live on at Kennesaw State University with the recently established Jane J. Yarbrough Endowed Nursing Scholarship.

Funded by Jane Yarbrough’s husband, syndicated Marietta Daily Journal columnist Dick Yarbrough, the scholarship will be awarded to nontraditional students who have earned a bachelor’s degree but are interested in pursuing nursing through KSU’s Wellstar School of Nursing.

“My greatest achievement in life is this scholarship,” Dick Yarbrough, who endowed $50,000 toward the scholarship, said in a news release. “This is very important to me to help the next generation of students pursue a critical profession through the inspiration of my wife, who has made this possible.”

After raising her two children, Jane Yarbrough enrolled at Kennesaw State to study nursing, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She then worked at Piedmont Health as a registered nurse for a brief time and, after that, as an occupational nurse for Delta Airlines. She passed away in 2020.

“Jane did not like attention much, but now she’ll get the recognition she deserves,” Yarbrough said. “I felt this was the best way to honor her commitment to nursing.”

The scholarship will fund KSU students advancing into the nursing field, according to Susan Dyess, the interim director of the Wellstar School of Nursing.

“This scholarship is a boon for our program and by extension for the region and state,” Dyess said. “This will help a deserving student to accomplish a degree and serve an important role in our society. Dick Yarbrough’s love for this profession and our program is palpable, and we appreciate his generous support.”