Dillon Jennings was awarded the Lawrence Respiratory Foundation’s Professional Achievement
in Respiratory Care scholarship this semester. The award is a $1,500 scholarship established
to support a senior student in the Respiratory Therapy program at National Park College
(NPC).
Jennings works full time on the weekends and attends class during the week. He said
the sacrifice is difficult, but he is excited to see his hard work beginning to pay
off. “I’m reaping the benefits from how hard I have worked,” he said. He expressed
his appreciation to the Lawrence Foundation saying, “They have given me an opportunity
to show how important respiratory care is.”
Lawrence Foundation President, Gretchen Lawrence explained that scholarship recipients
are required to have a minimum 3.0 GPA and participate in an interview in addition
to an essay and application. Lawrence said, “He was identified by his fellow students
as a leader, a mentor, a friend, and somebody who is going to be a super therapist,
so he was a natural first choice.”
Jennings will complete his final clinical rotation in the neonatal intensive care
unit at Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith next semester. He will graduate in May with an
Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care and plans to transfer to Mid-Western
State University in Texas to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Pictured is Gretchen Lawrence, Dillon Jennings, and Dr. John Hogan.