BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Carolyn Spooner presented six Shirley Ann Brown Livingstone Scholarships this year, with the recipients being 2025 Bradford High School graduates Kendall Cook, Anaria Early, Nivaiah Foster, Jazlyn Hamilton, Jalisa McMillian and Alysia Rentz.
The $1,000 scholarships honor the memory of Livingstone, a registered nurse who died from breast cancer at the age of 55 in 2004. The cancer went into remission several times, but the final time it returned, it had metastasized.
Livingstone, the sister of Spooner, worked until a week before her death.
Spooner, who’s the director of the scholarship foundation, said it means a lot to her to award scholarships to students who are pursuing careers in the medical field. In presenting Shirley Ann Brown Livingstone Scholarship certificates at Bradford High School on June 18, she told the recipients that she hopes “you’ll help us find a cure (for cancer) someday.”
McMillian said she wants to do her part to do just that.
“My granny also passed away from cancer, so I do want to eventually find a cure for cancer to help save other people’s grannies,” McMillian said, adding, “This scholarship means a lot
to me because it will help me and support me in getting my nursing degree.”
Cook’s plans are to finish work toward her AA degree at Santa Fe College and then go into radiography. She would like to eventually attend the University of Florida.
As for her choice of radiography, Cook said she was inspired by watching those in the field when she had an injury that required MRIs and x-rays.
“I really took an interest in it,” Cook said.
As for receiving the Shriley Ann Brown Livingstone Scholarship, Cook said, “It will help a lot financially so I can continue on with what I want to be and to help others.”
Like Cook, Early is working toward her AA degree at Santa Fe College. Her end goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Since “school is not cheap,” Early said receiving the scholarship will ease a lot of burdens.
“This scholarship means everything to me,” Early said.
Foster was unable to meet with Spooner and the other scholarship recipients at BHS because she’s currently attending classes at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. She shared a statement with the Telegraph-Times-Monitor.
“Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to pursue nursing,” Foster wrote. “When my older brother was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, I watched as nurses cared for him with such compassion, patience and dedication. Their support not only helped him manage his condition, but also brought comfort to our entire family.
“That experience inspired me to want to help other families the way those nurses helped mine.”
Foster expressed her gratitude in receiving the scholarship and wrote that she admires the foundation’s “mission of empowering young women in healthcare by providing the tools and financial support needed to succeed.”
Hamilton plans to attend Georgia Southern University and certify in ultrasound technology. She wants to eventually earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology.
“This scholarship means a lot to me because I’ve always wanted to go into healthcare,” Hamilton said. “I’ve always wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps because she is a Doctor of Nursing practitioner. I knew nursing was not for me, so I just knew that I wanted to follow behind her in the healthcare field.”
Rentz said she’s grateful to not have to worry about money as she pursues her goal.
“I plan to attend Santa Fe College to pursue radiology,” she said.
In hearing from Spooner who the scholarship recipients were, BHS Principal Chris Coffey said, “You’ve got a good group.”
With this year’s recipients, Spooner has now awarded a total of 33 Shirley Ann Brown Livingstone Scholarships. She normally awards five each year, but had extra funds to do a sixth this year.
