Alumna Establishes Nursing Scholarship to Benefit “Underdog” Students
UNC Charlotte alumna Teresa Lane has established the Teresa Parham Lane Endowed Nursing Scholarship to assist undergraduate students pursuing a nursing degree.
With her $25,000 gift, Lane hopes to reach “underdog students” who may find it difficult to maintain a high grade-point average. As a student who struggled with grades herself, Lane wants to give such students an opportunity to receive funding and be the best they can be.
“I certainly struggled as a student because the program was rigorous and demanding,” Lane said. “But I consider myself to be very successful and therefore know that grades alone are not a determinant of success in life.”
After graduating from UNC Charlotte in 1982, Lane went on to receive a master’s degree in gerontology/mental health nursing from Emory University and a post master’s certificate from University of North Georgia as a family nurse practitioner.
She developed a love for mental health and has dedicated her career to treating those suffering from mental illness. Lane now serves as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist at a public mental health facility in the Atlanta area. The facility accepts insurance, public funds and sliding scale, making their services available to patients of all socioeconomic levels. Lane offers a diagnosis to patients of all ages and offers treatment through both psychotherapy and medication. As a licensed family nurse practitioner, Lane can treat both the mental and physical needs of her patients.
“UNC Charlotte gave me a start and launched my career. I knew I wanted to give back. I had dreamed of this for a while but just thought, how? Now my dream has been realized,” said Lane.
The donation will allow juniors and seniors in the School of Nursing to receive funding without having to meet the strict GPA requirements associated with many scholarships. She also hopes that scholarship recipients share her love for mental health. But most of all, the gift is about opportunity.
“The biggest thing is that you don’t have to be an honor student or valedictorian in order to benefit through the scholarship. I was not a straight “A” student and I had to work so hard in nursing school, but still I’m successful. Anyone can be successful if you put your mind to it and give it your best, and that is the point I really want to make with this scholarship.”
by: Anna Henderson