91探花

Lees-91探花 has built on its diverse selection of outdoor-focused programming by offering a new Wilderness Medicine and Rescue major. The establishment of the new major will also include a new program-specific scholarship opportunity.

“Wilderness Medicine and Rescue, like the Outdoor Recreation Management major and minor and the Ski Industry minor, will focus on technical skills, industry certifications, and risk management,” Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Outdoor Recreation Management and Wilderness Medicine and Rescue Katie Wall said. “This new academic program will dig deeper into our already unique outdoor-focused academic programs.”

According to Wall, this new program, which is an expansion of an existing minor of the same name, will be one of the only if its kind in the country. In addition to her experience in the classroom, Wall brings field expertise and a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technical (WEMT) certification to her position as coordinator, making her the perfect candidate to show students the ropes. Students who want to major in Wilderness Medicine and Rescue will also have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship set up specifically for the new program.

The Carol and Mark Scott Endowed Scholarship will be funded by Lees-91探花 alumnus and Ashe County resident Lynn Lewis ’75. Lewis has partnered with the college to create this scholarship in honor of Carol and Mark Scott, two emergency medicine practitioners who had great impact on his life and his love of emergency medicine.

Lewis studied pre-dentistry at Lees-91探花 when it was a two-year school but fell in love with emergency medicine after enrolling in an EMT course while further pursuing his studies. Lewis met Mark Scott while fulfilling course requirements for his emergency room internship. He and Scott, the physician’s assistant on duty, struck up a friendship and Scott eventually became his mentor.

Lewis continued working at the hospital to earn additional medical hours and eventually met Scott’s wife, Carol. Carol Scott was the supervising nurse at the time and expanded Lewis’ medical knowledge to include patient care.

“They really had empathy for the patients and did everything they could to help them. One thing you are taught in medicine and dentistry is to not take your patients’ problems home with you. As smart as Mark and Carol are, they must have missed that class in school because they continued to care long after their patients had left,” Lewis said. “I hope I was able to care for my patients half as well as Mark and Carol did for theirs. I know I would not have achieved what I did if not for Mark and Carol as mentors. That’s why I want to honor them with this scholarship for the new Wilderness Medicine and Rescue major.”

With this scholarship Lewis hopes to encourage and enable more students to follow their passion. Each academic year the Carol and Mark Scott Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to a student majoring in Wilderness Medicine and Rescue. This gift will allow Lewis to pass on his passion for emergency medicine by making that dream a reality for other students. 

Preference will be given to applicants in the following order: student majoring in Wilderness Medicine and Rescue, student who resides in Ashe County in any major, student who resides in Allegheny County in any major, student who resides in western North Carolina in any major, student who resides in North Carolina in any major. In the event no students meet the criteria the college may award to a student at its discretion in the spirit of the donor’s intent.