Regional honors council caps Oliver Memorial Scholarship Fund

oliver campaign art

The Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC) joined the Oliver family and more than 100 individuals to fully endow the Bridgett Oliver Memorial Scholarship fund.  

“The members of the Executive Committee of the Southern Regional Honors Council were heartbroken to learn of the tragedy that took Bridgett Oliver’s life during her return to Radford from the 2017 SRHC conference,” said current SRHC president Patrick Bahls, professor of mathematics and director of the honors program at UNC-Asheville, in a statement. 

The SRHC made a $3,000 gift to the fund. 

“Bridgett’s participation in our organization and its activities helped her to make an impact far beyond her hometown and her own institution. We wish to honor Bridgett’s memory, so that future Radford students can follow in Bridgett’s footsteps in making positive changes to the world around them,” Bahls added.

The community fund created an endowed memorial scholarship to honor Oliver’s memory and help future students who share her passion for labor and delivery nursing.

Oliver, of New Castle, died as the result of an automobile accident on March 31. Bridgett was 21 and a senior honors nursing major. Fellow honors nursing student Rachel Jones of Dinwiddie was seriously injured in the same accident and is recovering. The pair were returning from a SRHC event in Asheville when the accident occurred.

The kindness of the honors academy community touched Niels Christensen, director of the Radford Honors Academy and professor of psychology, who said, “The state/regional/national honors community is full of good folks who have offered their condolences to the Radford family over the past few months. Their contribution reflects its profound commitment to supporting the efforts to grow and succeed by so many other young people like her.”

School of Nursing Director Tony Ramsey reflected on the power of philanthropy.

“The School of Nursing community, the nursing community and the Radford family have made a powerful statement of support for young people like Bridgett who are inspired to make an impact in a career of service to others," Ramsey said.

Jun 27, 2017
Don Bowman
(540)831-5182
dbowman@radford.edu