September 25, 2025
East Texas Baptist University honored students from the Teague School of Nursing with the Polly Cargill Nursing Scholarship, generously provided by the Jerry and Jack Cargill family in partnership with ETBU. A total of 27 local students were recognized during a special reception held on September 24 at the Marshall Grand, with 21 recipients representing ETBU’s nursing program.
The Cargill brothers created the Polly Cargill Nursing Scholarship in memory of their mother, Polly Cargill, whose exceptional care by nurses at Good Shepherd Marshall Hospital left a lasting impression. The scholarship aims to empower students in East Texas to become skilled, compassionate nurses while honoring Polly Cargill’s legacy.
“Jerry and Judy, Jack, we are so very thankful for your sacrificial investment in providing financial resources to Polly Cargill Scholars,” ETBU President Dr. J. Blair Blackburn said. “Your contributions to the Polly Cargill Scholarship Fund and ETBU’s matching gifts to our Polly Cargill Scholarship Endowment enable these students and previous scholarship recipients over the years to receive an excellent nursing education.”
ETBU nursing students Seth Bright, Grecia Climaco, Baylie Colston, Ruth Cooper, Alyssa Ehler, Bryanne Izaguirre, Sarah Jones, Jessica Kuhlmann, Julia Lamb, Riley Loudermilk, Abigail Lucas, Melissa Martinez-Chavez, Amber McCarthy, Abryana Odom, Selah Tenbrink, Elizabeth Watkins, Hannah Wrinkle, Kennedy Wiley, Ashlyn Wynne, Elizabeth Wynne, Eliana Zepeda, were each awarded a Polly Cargill Nursing Scholarship. Nursing students from UT Tyler, Tyler Junior College, Panola College, and Kilgore College also received Polly Cargill scholarships.
“It was truly an honor to receive a scholarship in memory of someone who received such exceptional care from East Texas nurses,” Level 4, senior, nursing major Baylie Colston said. “It definitely encouraged me to continue out my last semester with excellence and gave me more fervor to serve my patients well. Nursing is not just a job, it's truly a calling that the Lord has placed on my life.”
This year’s event marked the 23rd anniversary of the Polly Cargill Nursing Scholarship, which has now supported 164 nursing students from various schools across the East Texas region. Recipients gathered at the reception in the Grand Ballroom to receive recognition from both their educational institutions and the scholarship’s founders.
“Our mom got the best care she's ever gotten anywhere in the country, right here in Marshall, Texas,” Jerry Cargile said. “What they did for us and our mom was spectacular. So, thank you all for what you've done. Thank you for what you will do. Thanks for letting us just share a little bit of our mother with you.”
Following the recognition of the scholarship recipients, Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Antay Waters, gave a moving charge to the scholarship recipients about the importance of faith and resilience in the nursing field. She referenced Jesus’s life as an example of the way nurses should extend “radical hospitality and inclusive care to all patients,” and she encouraged the scholarship recipients to make their mark on the nursing field and God’s kingdom. Dr. Waters charged the students to draw near to God in the midst of challenges, particularly regarding the servant leadership of the nursing profession.
“As you step into your role as nurses, remember to always carry Christ's light into some of the darkest places of the human experience,” Dr. Waters said. “You'll be present at births and at deaths, in moments of great joy and in deep sorrow. You have the privilege of being God's hands and feet to those who are vulnerable and afraid. Approach every patient with the love of Christ, seeing them in the image of God. Practicing nursing is not just a profession, it's a ministry. My challenge to you today is this: if there isn't room at the table, build a bigger table. But remember, as you build that table, you're not just making room for more people. You're creating space where healing happens, where dignities are restored, where hope is renewed, and where Christ's love is made tangible. Go forth as servant leaders, building bigger tables in Jesus' name, and may your lives be a testimony to his goodness and grace.”