The School of Health Professions is proud to announce two new scholarships made possible by donors who want to help students succeed.

Solving societal ills through social work

The Jana Hoffman-Haley Scholarship for Social Work will benefit a social work student with demonstrated financial need. Preference is given to minority students with a mental health social work focus.

“Particularly in these pandemic times, mental health professionals are needed more than ever,” said Hoffman-Haley, BSW ’76.

Hoffman-Haley worked three jobs when she was at Mizzou as an undergrad, and she understands how challenging that is for students to do today.

“Pondering the ills of society such as poverty, crime and hunger, the remedy that frequently came to my mind was education,” Hoffman-Haley said. “My friends and professors at Mizzou were fantastic. I feel very fortunate to be able to give back.”

Supporting Black scholars

Rose Hayden, M Ed ’92, and her wife, Meichele Foster, MPA ’09, created the Health Professions Black Scholar Award. This scholarship will be awarded to a Black undergraduate student who is enrolled in the School of Health Professions, who has successfully completed at least 30 college credit hours or a graduate/professional student. Preference will be given to students interested in conducting research and/or who intend to pursue an advanced academic/professional degree.

Hayden and Foster were moved to do something tangible to help foster diversity, equity and inclusion in their community after the national racial reckoning of 2020.

“Early in 2020, Meichele and I began to feel strongly that chanting ‘Black Lives Matter’ and posting a sign in our front yard was not enough,” Hayden said.

Rose, senior executive assistant in the School of Health Professions, and Meichele, assistant vice chancellor for advancement at MU, have worked in higher education for many years. They know that  Black students must be supported early and often at the undergraduate level.

“A foundation must be laid, and that foundation is the education and mentoring of Black students with aspirations to one day join us as faculty members, researchers and/or clinicians in this arena of higher education and university health systems,” Hayden said.

“That is what we are trying to do with this scholarship. We hope others will join us in the effort.”

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