SYLVA – For many years, Kenneth Haigler, an EBCI tribal member, helped students in Southwestern Community College’s radiography technology program learn and grow by supervising their clinical rotations at Swain Community Hospital.
Though Haigler passed away last year, his friends and family have ensured that Haigler’s legacy of assisting SCC students will continue for years to come.
The Kenneth Haigler Endowed Scholarship Fund has been set up with an initial donation of $15,000 to the SCC Foundation and will be awarded annually to a deserving student in the college’s radiography technology program. Haigler was the son of Tom and Rosemarie Haigler.
“We were sitting around talking with Kenny’s family one day, and we all felt we should do something to help his name live on,” said Lambert Wilson, a lifelong friend of the Haiglers. “We decided to set up a scholarship that will continue his legacy and celebrate his impact.”
Haigler spent most of his life in Swain County, though he graduated from high school in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He served in the U.S. Army as a medic before starting his career in radiology.
“This is a wonderful way to honor the memory of Mr. Haigler,” said Brett Woods, director of the SCC Foundation. “By endowing this scholarship, his family and friends are making sure future SCC students will feel the positive impact of his life.”
If enough donations are received to increase the endowment, the first Kenneth Haigler Scholarship could be awarded as soon as this fall.
Info: Woods (828) 339-4241 or b_woods@southwesterncc.edu
– SCC
