Hinds CC nursing student awarded annual McCulloch Scholarship

JACKSON, Miss. (VDN) — N’kyah Kendrick didn’t grow up surrounded by doctors or nurses. In fact, it was her family’s lack of medical knowledge that pushed her toward a nursing career.

“I just figured the best way to learn about medicine was to go do it,” said Kendrick, 19, of Jackson. “I love the compassion that a nurse has. I thought becoming a nurse would be a good stepping stone to becoming a nurse practitioner.”

Now in Hinds Community College’s nursing program, Kendrick is one step closer to her dream. She recently earned the 2025 Carla McCulloch Scholarship, which will cover her tuition at the Nursing Allied Health Center for the 2025–26 academic year.

She already has her sights set on the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she’s been accepted into the nurse practitioner program. Eventually, she wants to open a private practice in a rural area.

“I want to help people who are less fortunate, because that’s how my family was,” she said. “I want to give back.”

Kendrick, a 4.0 GPA student, credits her professors for helping her reach this point.

“I wouldn’t have gotten this far without them,” she said. “They’re always willing to stop and help when I have questions.”

The McCulloch Scholarship

The McCulloch Scholarship has been awarded since 1991 to a second-semester Associate Degree Nursing student at Hinds. It honors Carla McCulloch, a nursing student who died in a 1991 car accident. Her parents, Larry and Carol McCulloch, created the scholarship to keep her spirit alive.

McCulloch’s family asks that each recipient embody Carla’s passion for nursing and her bubbly personality.

“Although Carla’s time with us on Earth was too short, her impact continues,” said her sister, Mandy Graybill, in a written statement. “This scholarship has honored some of the best, brightest and most compassionate people in the field.”

“It’s a comfort to know that in some way, Carla is still living her dream of nursing — through the hands and hearts of others.”

Brittany Meacham, director of the Associate Degree Nursing program at Hinds, said support like this makes a lasting difference.

“It means the world to have scholarships like this available for our students,” she said.

To learn more about the program, visit hindscc.edu/pathways/health-sciences/associate-degree-nursing.