AMERICUS, Ga. — Georgia Southwestern University created a nursing scholarship to honor Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed in Athens in 2024.
Riley’s death at the hands of Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan man in the U.S. without authorization, led to new legislation at the federal level regarding immigration enforcement.
Now, the nursing student is being honored by GSW through the Laken Hope Memorial Nursing Scholarship.
The new scholarship fund is established within the GSW Foundation and was created through the contributions of multiple donors, including two alumni, Wes and Jean Wheeler.
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“I am incredibly honored and grateful to be the first recipient of the Laken Hope Memorial Nursing Scholarship,” Kendall Hall, the inaugural scholarship recipient, said in a statement. “Knowing how passionate Laken was about helping others makes this scholarship especially meaningful. I hope to carry on her legacy of kindness and compassion as I pursue my own dream of becoming a nurse. I am truly thankful to Laken’s family and the donors who made this opportunity possible.”
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Hall is a senior nursing student from Leesburg.
According to GSW, Riley’s parents Allyson and John Phillips recently visited campus to meet Hall and see how the scholarship is making a difference.
They were also given a tour of the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex by GSW President Dr. Kerry Palmer and College of Nursing Dean Courtney ross.
“I’ve known since the day Laken was born that she was going to change the world,” Laken’s mother, Allyson Phillips said, saying Hall reminder her of her daughter. “I obviously didn’t know it would be this way. I thought it would be in nursing or something in the medical field, but this would make her so happy because she would just love to see someone else benefiting from this generosity.”
The Wheelers said Riley’s loss touched many in the community deeply, inspiring the scholarship to honor her dedication to serving others and her passion for nursing.
“Laken Riley’s life touched so many people, and we wanted her legacy to continue in a way that creates hope and opportunity for others,” Wes Wheeler said. “Establishing this scholarship is a meaningful way to honor her memory while helping students pursue their dreams and build brighter futures.”
GSW nursing students will receive ongoing financial assistance through the Laken Hope Memorial Nursing Scholarship in order to “help ease the cost of their education while honoring Laken’s dream of caring for others,” the university said.
The scholarship is endowed, with the university saying it will “create a lasting legacy of compassion and service for years to come.”
Those who would like to donate to the scholarship fund can go online here and chose “Laken Hope Memorial Nursing Scholarship.”
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