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| Brooke Fountain, an SCC student from Sylva, recently won a N.C. Association of Respiratory Educators Tom Morris scholarship. |
The competitiveness of Southwestern Community College’s respiratory therapy program reaches beyond statewide contests.
Brooke Fountain of Sylva was named one of five winners of the N.C. Association of Respiratory Educators Tom Morris Scholarship last month at the High Country Conference on Respiratory Care in Blowing Rock. Applicants must meet high academic standards, receive recommendation from college personnel and submit a one-page essay to be considered.
Fountain said she plans to use the $500 scholarship to help with graduation costs, certification exams and membership fees for organizations in the respiratory therapy field.
News of Fountain’s scholarship came the same week as SCC’s respiratory therapy program won its fourth statewide competition in a row.
“We’re so proud of Brooke for winning this scholarship,” said Samantha Campbell, coordinator of SCC’s respiratory therapy program. “She has worked extremely hard in our program for nearly two years, and she deserves this honor.”
Fountain’s background with the field of respiratory therapy is quite personal: Her grandmother had COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and was always in and out of the hospital.
“My grandmother is the reason why I fell in love with respiratory therapy,” Fountain said. “As long as I can remember, she was always sick, she had COPD, and was practically living in the hospital. She had to leave my (high school) graduation early because of her oxygen tank. I guess the reason I went in to respiratory therapy is because of her. I wanted to give others the opportunity of being able to spend more time with their grandparents or family members.”
Fountain will graduate from Southwestern on May 11.
For more information about SCC’s respiratory therapy program, contact Campbell at 828.339.4472 ors_campbell@southwesterncc.edu.
