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Dr. Lucy Huckabay, longtime faculty member who formerly served as Director of the School of Nursing for the past 21 years, and has served for 43 years on the ɫ��ɫ campus, recently contributed a transformational gift to endow a scholarship named in her honor.

Dr. Huckabay and her husband James created the Dr. Lucy Huckabay Endowed Nursing Scholarship that will provide generous financial support to nursing students towards achieving their educational goals for generations to come.

Dr. Lucy Huckabay celebreates her retirement with husband James

“I love this school -- I’ve been here for a substantial part of my life -- and I want to leave a legacy behind of helping future generations of nursing students,” Dr. Huckabay says.

During her retirement party at the Old Ranch Country Club earlier this year, Dr. Huckabay asked her guests, in lieu of gifts, to contribute to the scholarship to grow the endowment. Retirement party guests included ɫ��ɫ President Jane Close Conoley, CHHS Dean Monica Lounsbery, ɫ��ɫ faculty, friends and family. 

The scholarship got its seed money beginning with contributions from the donors, which amounted to about one-tenth of the total scholarship fund. Dr. Huckabay's generous gift to endow the scholarship will help students for generations to come. 

“This is such a meaningful gift because it's a lasting philanthropic legacy to our students and the University; Dr. Huckabay has given so much of her life’s work, time and talent to this campus,” says Jennifer Moore, Director of Development for the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) at ɫ��ɫ. “It really shows that the Beach cares about making a difference in the lives of students, and it helps shape the culture of philanthropy here at ɫ��ɫ.”

The Dr. Lucy Huckabay Endowed Nursing Scholarship will go towards helping fund tuition and school supplies for full-time nursing students who demonstrate financial need, and who are committed to entering the nursing profession upon graduation.

“Scholarships are a huge need and Dr. Huckabay’s gift shows her commitment to giving back, says Moore. “A large portion of our students are in some kind of financial need, and gifts like this will help generations of students achieve success. We are very thankful for Dr. Huckabay and her husband James for their support.”

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Dr. Huckabay remembers when she herself was a nursing student, obtaining her first nursing degree at the American University of Beirut. She cites her cultural background and Armenian Christian values as being a big part of her deciding to endow this scholarship.

“My husband and I said, ‘You know, God has been good…to leave something behind for future generations is a good thing. Money comes and goes, but what you leave behind for others, you leave it for good.”