A Rewarding Connection

Fall 2023 - For many Baylor students, receiving a scholarship plays an important role in achieving their goal of earning a Baylor degree. The funds go a long way toward reducing the costs of college and easing the financial stress of daily life.

In Amanda Fuller's case, receiving the John J. and Lucinda “Cindy” Harmon Scholarship in Nursing changed the course of her life by enabling her to attend the Louise Herrington School of Nursing. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in nursing in August, Amanda is now pursuing her dream of serving as a critical care nurse.

"Being a Baylor nurse is a title I wear with pride," she said. "My professors, clinical experiences, and curriculum have provided me with the ability to immediately go into any nursing position to lead and serve both my community and the teams I work with."

SHARED ATTRIBUTES

At Baylor, recipients of scholarships are often asked to write a letter of appreciation to those who have donated the funds from which that financial assistance is drawn.

When such a request came her way, Amanda welcomed the opportunity to express her gratitude.

“Knowing that others believe in you and the work you are studying to do makes the long hours a bit easier,” she wrote to John Harmon last year. "I pray that you always know the blessing you are providing."

John had created the endowed scholarship several years earlier in honor of his wife, Cindy, who died in 2018, and he had received similarly gratifying letters from students before. But Amanda's letter touched a special place in his heart.

"When I read what Amanda wrote, I became very excited about her wanting to be a critical care nurse," he said. "She had a lot of attributes that reminded me of Cindy."

A 1980 Baylor graduate, Cindy Harmon had a long and inspiring career as a Critical Care Registered Nurse in the ICU at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was raised by her parents, Walter and Evalena Johnson, in the small Oklahoma town of Goltry and earned a degree in piano performance from the University of Tulsa in 1975.

However, having fallen in love with nursing while working as a nurse’s aide during her undergraduate studies, she decided to change her career path by using income from teaching piano lessons to put herself through nursing school at Baylor.

"One of the attributes I found remarkable in Amanda’s thank-you letter was her commitment to excellence, as demonstrated by her memberships in professional organizations and her willingness to give back to her community with volunteerism," said John, who established the scholarship both as a tribute to his late wife’s dedication and passion for nursing and to assist Baylor nursing students who, like Cindy, were raised in rural areas.

TOUCHING LIVES

After reading Amanda's letter, he sent her a note letting her know how much he appreciated her kind words and that he thought she had the makings of a great nurse.

A few months later, he found that Amanda was still on his mind. He called the nursing school to see if it would be appropriate for him to meet her. Arrangements were made, and in mid-August John drove from his home in Tulsa to Dallas, where Baylor’s nursing school is located, to attend the pinning and recognition ceremony for graduating students.

As a token of the connection he felt toward Amanda, he gave her a gold Baylor Bear pin that had belonged to his wife — a gift she was very happy to accept.

Afterward, she came to see John's supportive gesture as representative of her overall experience at Baylor.

"When I made the bold decision to pursue this dream of nursing school, I knew I wanted to be at a university where there was a standard of excellence," said Amanda, who had previously earned a B.S. from the University of Texas and worked in the business world. "I also wanted to be surrounded by a community of believers who would come alongside me on this intensive journey and provide me with spiritual renewal, prayer, and encouragement."

John and Cindy Harmon were married for 31 years. They met through music. He had recently moved from California to Tulsa, where he had been raised, to work as a respiratory therapist at Saint Francis Hospital, and one day he told a nurse about his interest in learning how to play piano.

"She says, 'I know someone who could probably teach you how to do that,'" John remembered. He and Cindy found they had a common passion for classical music, and soon they became inseparable.

John said Cindy was very proud to be a Baylor graduate. He noted that she touched thousands of lives through her compassionate care and intelligence as a Critical Care Registered Nurse for 35 years.

"Cindy was the epitome of nursing," said John, who has made estate plans to increase the amount of the scholarship’s funds. "It’s a calling to be a nurse. You’re there to help people, sometimes in very difficult periods of their lives. Her care of her patients was second to none."