HEALTH CAREERS SCHOLARSHIP DEPARTMENT

Eligibliity: Students preparing for careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physical or occupational therapy, and medical technologies are eligible to apply. Astudent must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen, enrolled full-time in a school accredited in the field involved and application must be for at least the third year of college. R.N. students must have completed the first year of schooling. Pre-med students are not eligible to apply. For those students seeking degrees of M.D. or D.D.S., application must be for at least the second year of medical or dental school. There is no age limit. Scholarships are for $1000.00.

Process: Applicants must request an application via postal mail by sending a short note of request, along with a self-addressed, legal-sized, stamped envelope (in which the director will return an application) to:

IOKDS
Health Careers Scholarship Director
PO Box 1040
Chautauqua, NY 14722

Completed applications returned to the director must be postmarked by April 1st. of the current year.

The Health Careers Scholarship Program was started in May, 1976. It is supported through individual contributions of The King's Daughters and Sons' members. Since there is no set budget, the number of scholarships available may vary from year to year.

This is an exciting time for the members of The King's Daughters and Sons (KDS). Throughout the organization, hundreds of thousands of dollars of scholarships have just been awarded to students studying for various health careers, theology, and a myriad of other fields in the United States, Canada, and many other countries. These scholarships are funded from the following International Departments: Around the World, Health Careers, North American Indian, and Student Ministry and from Circles and Branches throughout North America.

Through fundraisers such as tennis tournaments, seafood festivals, gala dances, garage sales, and many other activities, the tens of thousands of King's Daughters and Sons raise money to support these scholarships. Since the organization of The KDS in 1886, thousands of deserving students have received assistance to achieve their academic and lifetime goals. In turn, many of these recipients have donated to the Order to help others.

One scholarship recipient, Dr. Mark Tong, of Arizona was a scholarship student in the early 1960s. A native of North Korea, Dr. Tong immigrated to the United States in 1951 where he served as an interpreter for the U.S. Army. While attending church in Oklahoma, he met several members of The King's Daughters and Sons who sponsored him as a Chautauqua Scholarship student in 1959 and 1960.

While a medical student at Tulane University, the KDS members in New Orleans assisted him. Dr. Tong writes "I have never forgotten the kindness and generosity of Mrs. C. T. White, the Lousiana Branch President and all of that Branch's members while I studied at Tulane." Later, Mark Tong received the first Health Careers Scholarship given by The King's Daughters and Sons.

Following graduation from the University of Oklahoma Medical School, Dr. Tong began a practice which took him to New York and finally to Arizona where he has practiced for over thirty years. During his practice, he has delivered over 4500 babies. Over the years, he has been a faithful member of The KDS.

Dr. Tong and his wife have two daughters, Michaela and Nina. Following in her father's footsteps, Michaela, also a former Chautauqua Scholarship student, is a doctor at a hospital which serves Native Americans in western United States. She sponsors a special mission, Project Babyface, which provides necessities for babies of needy mothers. Knitted items, bottles, diapers, clothing, and children's books are items which will be donated by many members of The King's Daughters and Sons as they gather at Chautauqua, New York, this summer.

From helping a young Korean student find his way in a strange land to donating to the project initiated by his daughter forty years later, The King's Daughters and Sons have forged a strong tie to the Tong family. This is just one example of how members of the Order have made a difference and continue to "Lend a Hand."

Frances Buskey Sellew
23 International President