June 20, 2019 – Sarah Bessent, R.N., the Southeast Georgia Health
System fall 2018 recipient of the Mary B. Dinos Memorial Scholarship,
recently graduated from the College of Coastal Georgia. The scholarship
allowed her to complete her final year in nursing school and obtain an
Associates of Science Nursing (ASN) degree. The Southeast Georgia Health System
Foundation recognized Bessent during the Health System’s annual Nurses Week
celebration on May 14, 2019. She was accepted into the Health System’s
Nurse Residency Program and recently became a registered nurse following
her NCLEX exams.
“I am very grateful to have received this wonderful and generous
award,” says Bessent. “This opportunity allowed me to fulfill
a lifelong goal and further my career in a way that also benefits my patients.
I can’t fully express my gratitude for being the recipient of this
scholarship. It’s truly been an honor and a blessing.”
Mary Butler Dinos was a steadfast supporter of the nursing profession and
compassionately believed in giving the gift of education to deserving
students who were not financially able to fulfill their academic dreams.
Jack Dinos established the endowed scholarship in memory of his wife and
in honor of Eddie Byrd, R.N., the inaugural recipient of the Mary B. Dinos
scholarship in 2013. Byrd’s caring and compassion during Mary Dinos’
illness touched her family so deeply that Jack Dinos developed the Mary
B. Dinos Memorial Scholarship, so that Byrd, and others like him, could
further their education.
The scholarship recognizes, encourages and assists an outstanding certified
nursing assistant, nursing technician, licensed practical nurse or registered
nurse who desires to obtain an Associates of Science Nursing (ASN) degree
or Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) degree. In addition to being employed
by the Health System, recipients must also attend the College of Coastal
Georgia. The scholarship supports the recipient for a maximum of three
academic years with only one scholarship granted at a time. Recipients
are required to remain employed with the Health System for three years
following the completion of their degree.
The Southeast Georgia Health System mission of providing safe, quality
and cost-effective care to meet the health needs of the communities it
serves is strengthened by the generosity of donors’ philanthropic
gifts. Established in 1994, the Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation
is the fundraising and resource development organization for the Health System.