MCC nursing student receives scholarship for excellence
Meridian Community College student Harleigh Barham has been awarded a Mississippi
Nurses Foundation Scholarship, a $1,000 honorarium recognizing her demonstrated skills
and commitment to making a difference in patients’ lives.
Barham, 22, from Meridian, will graduate on May 10, receiving her Associate Degree Nursing diploma. “This is wonderful,” Barham said about the award. “This is such an honor,” she added.
The Mississippi Nurses Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that raises, accepts, and disperses charitable donations to promote professional nursing and better health in Mississippi. Its School of Nursing Scholarships are offered to students in the state’s nursing schools in the spring and fall semesters, and foundation officials work closely with school faculty to identify recipients. The scholarship is made possible by the foundation’s Nurses Car Tag program.
Barham has a family background in nursing and will begin her professional career in the emergency room at Ochsner Rush; she has worked alongside her father, Bryan, an ER nurse. Her decision to follow a nursing career was inspired by her family and her experiences as a scribe during the COVID pandemic, where she saw first-hand the dedication of nurses to patient care.
Her plans include pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing and eventually becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner.
Visit meridiancc.edu/nursing for more information.