ALTON - A local woman has created a nursing scholarship in honor of her niece, and now, she’s asking the community to help her support single mothers in the nursing field.
Jacquesa Taylor was a single mom and nursing student. After Taylor’s passing at age 34, her aunt, Lynn Lumpkins Fulton, decided to create a scholarship in her name. Fulton has awarded three scholarships out of her own pocket with the help of her family's fundraising efforts, and she has gone on to mentor these local students and support them financially and emotionally through their schooling. She wants to do more and is asking the community to join her efforts.
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“She was a good soul, a good person,” Fulton said of Taylor. “She was very compassionate, a very kind, caring person.”
Taylor graduated salutatorian from CALC Institute of Technology in Alton. She was an LPN pursuing her RN when she passed, leaving behind four children.
Fulton decided to create the memorial scholarship for other single moms who want to pursue nursing. She remembers how busy Taylor was, so she made the application process easy: Just send in proof that you’re attending school and your GPA to jltnursingmemorialscholarship@gmail.com.
Fulton has awarded the first few scholarships at Alton’s Back to Mexico and Juneteenth events. The Back to Mexico committee even matched the scholarship last year, providing support to another student. Fulton plans to announce the next winner at Alton’s Back to Mexico event later this summer.
While the scholarship goes a long way to help students, Fulton has decided to take it a step further. Taylor had “a village” in her big, supportive family; Fulton understands not every single mom has that. She has taken these women under her wing and continues to supply them with resources like gas cards, food assistance, and emotional support.
“It’s almost like a motherhood,” she said. “I’m going to mother these girls until they get out of school…I want to be that person that you can come to, and I want to be able to find the resources that you need and make it available to you.”
Fulton added that she is trying to demonstrate the same compassion that Taylor had and share “what she left.” She is now looking for others to help her in this mission. Whether you want to donate or offer your support to these women in another way, Fulton is hopeful the community will come together to give back.
By helping these women, Fulton believes she is helping the community. She noted that no one wants to receive care from a “stressed-out nurse,” and by supporting these healthcare professionals in their personal lives, it helps them succeed in their nursing roles.
But the most fulfilling part of this experience, Fulton said, has been remembering Taylor. The scholarship is a way to honor her dedication to her community, career and children.
Fulton is proud that she has been able to help others in Taylor’s name. She hopes this scholarship will remind others to be compassionate and take care of one another.
“That’s what drove me to be able to help other girls, because I knew the compassion that she had,” Fulton added. “I wanted to just get out there to be able to help people. She was a very, very compassionate, kind person. I don’t really think there are words enough to say it. She was a good soul.”
For more information about the Jacquesa L. Taylor Nursing Memorial Scholarship, contact Fulton at jltnursingmemorialscholarship@gmail.com or 314-688-9280. You can also find information on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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