UofL nursing scholarship created to honor Breonna Taylor

To honor the memory of the EMT from Louisville, the UofL Health Board of Directors is creating a nursing scholarship in the name of Breonna Taylor.

The Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fund in Nursing will be a four-year renewable award. In choosing the recipient, preference will be given to Kentucky residents. It will cover full tuition and fees. The fund is created with 100% participation by the UofL Health board members. It was announced today by members of the University of Louisville Black Student Union.

Taylor, who would have turned 27 today, was an emergency room technician at UofL Health-Medical Center East. She was killed in March by police officers serving a “no-knock” warrant at her home.

“Breonna was a member of our UofL Health family,” said UofL Health CEO Tom Miller. “We grieve her loss, but we are hopeful her legacy can inspire meaningful change. This scholarship is part of an overall commitment to ensure diversity in our workforce and develop ongoing plans to eliminate racial inequality in health care.”

UofL Health is a nonprofit health provider affiliated with University of Louisville. It is governed by an 11-member board.

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi said having unanimous participation from the board members in establishing the fund shows that Taylor’s life, while cut tragically short, continues to make a community impact.

“While I didn’t know Breonna, I have learned that she was a wonderful person and a health care hero,” Dr. Bendapudi said. “Our hope is that this scholarship will provide the opportunity for another phenomenal young Black woman to follow in Breonna’s footsteps.”

“I am so appreciative that the University of Louisville, in partnership with the Black Student Union, will honor Breonna’s life through the creation of the Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship,” said Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer. “Breonna is smiling down knowing that there will be a path for students to pursue nursing degrees without accumulating student loan debt. Thank you to the university and its students for ensuring that Bre’s legacy will continue for generations to come.”

Anyone interested in supporting the Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fund can visit give.louisville.edu/breonna-taylor.

This post, by John Karman, III, was originally posted by UofL News on June 5, 2020. View the UofL News post here.