The Ogeechee Technical College Foundation, Inc. acknowledges with gratitude a generous commitment made by retiring Georgia State Representative Jan Tankersley for the establishment of The Honorable Jan B. Tankersley Endowed Nursing Scholarship. This will be Ogeechee Technical College’s first fully endowed nursing scholarship.
“I feel this is a most meaningful way to end my 27 years of public service,” Tankersley said. “My daughter Donna is a registered nurse, my granddaughter Megan is a pre-nursing major at the University of West Georgia, and my grandson’s wife Olivia is a registered nurse with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Their service has inspired me to support this critical need in our state.”
Tankersley’s $30,000 endowment will be used to support Ogeechee Technical College’s Practical Nursing program by creating a perpetual scholarship for students in good standing with OTC who are enrolled in the Practical Nursing program. Ultimately, the scholarship will be given to students enrolled in OTC’s LPN to RN Bridge program once the program is underway.
“As we seek to meet the demand of open nursing positions in our community, this scholarship will help students complete the nursing program,” said Lori Durden, President of Ogeechee Tech. “We are so honored that Representative Tankersley chose to endow this scholarship. She has been a strong advocate of Ogeechee Technical College and the Technical College System of Georgia during her entire tenure as a Representative.”
An endowed scholarship is a donation that is invested by the college, the interest of which is used to fund scholarships each year. A minimum of $25,000 is required to fund an endowed scholarship at Ogeechee Tech.
“Part of the mission of the College’s Foundation is to create scholarship opportunities within all of our programs,” said Michelle Davis, Vice President for College Advancement. “We are so grateful that Representative Tankersley chose to endow this scholarship as she served on the Foundation Board for a number of years.”
Elected in 2010 to the Georgia House of Representatives, Tankersley has a long-standing history of service and humanitarian aid to Bulloch County and the state of Georgia. While serving the Georgia House of Representatives, Tankersley sat on several committees including, Appropriations, Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Health & Human Services, Intragovernmental Coordination, Natural Resources and Environment, and Rules.
Tankersley, who was listed as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend Magazine in January 2010, also served on the Bulloch County Board of County Commissioners and the Brooklet City Council. Tankersley’s term as Representative ends January 9, 2023 when Representative Elect Lehman Franklin is slated to be sworn in. Tankersley made an announcement that she would not seek re-election in February 2022.
Ogeechee Tech has offered Practical Nursing since its founding in 1986, most recently adding a new state-of-the-art nursing lab. “This is incredible news for our program and for our students seeking to start or advance a career in nursing,” said Jackie Howard, Practical Nursing Program Director.
