The Bessie R. Hargest Health Sciences Scholarship Foundation
2024 Virtual 4K Run & Walk
The Bessie R. Hargest Scholarship Foundation is hosting its 2024 Virtual Walk & Run on October 12, 2024. You can participate from anywhere and at any time that day, making it easy to support the Foundation’s mission of providing scholarships to medical students. Registration is $25, and all proceeds go directly toward funding educational opportunities. For questions, please contact Veronica C. Weatherspoon at (281) 723-5063.
2024 Bessie R. Hargest Scholarship Banquet
This was an unforgettable evening celebrating our stars! Congratulations to the winners of our 2024 Scholarship Banquet:
Saniya Harris
A nursing student at Prairie View A&M University with plans to graduate in the Spring of 2026. In school, she participates in the Prairie View Student Nurses’ Association and Prairie View Nurses’ Mentorship Organization. For the 2024-2025 academic calendar year, she will serve as Membership Coordinator or the Helping Advance the Lives of Others (H.A.L.O) community service organization of the College of Nursing. Outside of school, she enjoys volunteering at her local homeless shelter in her hometown of McKinney, Tx. She enjoys being able to give back to her community and helping those in need. After graduation, Saniya plans on being either a Labor and Delivery or NIC nurse and also has plans of travel nursing.
Amna Sami
A current nursing student at Prairie View A&M College of Nursing. She is excited to take on this path and progress her knowledge in the nursing field. She plans to continue her education after receiving her bachelor's degree and focus on the NICU. When she is not studying, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, learning new recipes, and shopping. Similarly, she enjoys applying the knowledge she has gained in the community around her and volunteers at local health clinics. Originally, she is from Chicago but has resided in the Houston area for the last decade. She is grateful
to be selected for this opportunity and excited to see the opportunities it will bring.
Kandice Smith
A Junior nursing major with a minor in health hailing from Houston, Texas. She is currently enrolled at the prestigious Prairie View A&M University, affectionately known as PVAMU. Inspired by PVAMU's legacy of nurturing STEM scholars, Kandice is enthusiastic about contributing to this tradition. Alongside her academic pursuits, she actively participates in various organizations, including Women of H.E.R., Purple Jackets, Honors Program, and PALS, showcasing her commitment to both leadership and service.
With a passion for pediatric care, Kandice aspires to specialize in pediatrics and ultimately become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Her choice stems from a desire to provide comprehensive care to patients ranging from newborns to young adults, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Outside of her academic and professional endeavors, Kandice enjoys immersing herself in new experiences, whether it's through meeting new people or exploring diverse culinary delights at local restaurants. Interestingly, despite her adventurous spirit, Kandice has yet to travel abroad, adding a
unique facet to her vibrant personality.
Alyssa Taylor
A rising Junior currently majoring in nursing at Prairie View A&M University. She is currently involved in multiple organizations at PVAMU, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., NAACP, the Prairie View Student Nurses Association, and the Prairie View Nursing Mentor Organization. She is dedicated to her studies and will eventually become one of the 6% of Black nurses. She plans to become an NICU nurse, hopefully, making a difference in each individual baby's and parents’ lives.
Victory Ugorji
As a first-generation Nigerian-American and lifelong learner, she takes pride in her Igbo heritage, culture, and languages. Her passion for connecting and transforming lives has enriched her life and taught her valuable skills.
Currently, she is pursuing a nursing degree at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing, while staying connected to her cultural heritage and values. She is deeply committed to nursing, and she envisions a future where every individual has access to quality healthcare. With this scholarship, she can continue pursuing her passion, while giving back to her community and improving the healthcare system for everyone. As a child, she experienced the devastating consequences of a lack of financial resources to cover healthcare costs, which led her to pursue nursing.
Her ultimate goal is to build free clinics in impoverished countries and host health campaigns to improve hygiene and disease prevention. By offering free medical supplies, delivering vaccines, and providing neonatal necessities, her aim is to ensure that everyone has access to healthcare and that no one else has to lose a loved one to a curable disease. In her current efforts, she crochets for elderly residents, donates clothing and food after natural disasters, teaches life skills to children, visits patients in the hospital, and sponsors school fees for vulnerable children abroad. Additionally, she provides COVID relief packages and non-perishable foods to families in marginalized countries.
Apply for The Bessie R. Hargest Scholarship
"Through scholarships, we are committed to promoting excellence in The Health Sciences Field of Education to help build a strong and diverse workforce."
Bessie R. Hargest
November 24, 1938 - July 27, 2015The Legacy of Bessie R. Hargest
The world got a little bit brighter on November 24, 1938, the day Bessie Raye (Middleton) Hargest was born. She was number seven out of nine children born to Pearl and Millie Middleton in Columbus, Texas.
Bessie was raised in the red dirt and farm lands of Columbus. It is where she received her early education, attending Columbus Riverside Elementary and Junior High Schools. She then went on to graduate from Columbus High School.
Bessie was always determined and full of dreams. She also wanted to help any and everyone, so naturally part of her life plan was to become a nurse. Her post-high school educational journey started at Blinn College. She then went on to Texas Southern University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration. While at TSU, she pledged Eta Phi Beta Sorority, a business and professional women’s organization whose motto Bessie lived by: “Not for ourselves, but for others.”
Bessie started her Christian walk early; she was just a young girl when she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at New Greater Smith Chapel Baptist Church under Pastor R. B. Sanders in Columbus, Texas. Her faithfulness and dedication grew when she later she joined Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston, Texas under the leadership of Reverend Joe Samuel Ratliff. At Brentwood, she was a member of her beloved Brentwood choir and served in several other ministries, including the church food pantry.
No one cared more or was more dedicated to her role as a nurse than Bessie Hargest. She began her nursing career in Prairie View, Texas. She later worked at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Southern University as a nurse. She then moved from direct patient care to her role as a health care instructor where she strived to inspire hundreds of students to consider careers in the health care industry. She worked tirelessly to prepare the next generation of health care professionals by teaching Health Education at Jack Yates and Jeff Davis Senior High Schools in Houston, Texas. No slowing down for her in retirement, she continued to serve as a substitute health instructor at Westbury, Jack Yates and DeBakey High School for Health Professions in Houston ISD.
Bessie loved and gave all she could to her God, her children, her family and friends, her church and her profession as a nurse. She may have been small in stature, but her heart was bigger than the state of Texas. So was her spirit and determination, even in adversity. Bessie loved to laugh and wanted everyone around her to enjoy life as much as she did. Her Legacy will always be cherished and remembered.