Development News

Family and Friends Honor Rebecca Foster with Nursing Scholarship at Tennessee Tech

More than 100 members of the Golden Eagle community made a gift to honor a beloved nurse and establish the Rebecca Foster Memorial Scholarship Endowment at Tennessee Tech.

“Rebecca was passionate about nursing and caring for others,” said Allen Foster, Rebecca’s husband. “She believed in the calling of nursing and had a desire to support nursing students. She was heavily involved in her community in Cumberland County, Tenn., and across the state, always working hard to bring healthcare providers to the area. She often told fellow nurses that nursing was a ‘sacrificial profession,’ acknowledging that a great nurse must put oneself aside in the service of others."

Allen says it’s not surprising that so many people made a gift in her memory.

“Rebecca’s family and friends know that she was a special person,” he said. “She was just…different, but she had no idea. People loved Rebecca, and we all knew it, but we came to understand what a great impact she had when so many people attended her visitation and funeral and from the incredible response to her scholarship. It was both humbling and inspiring. Rebecca would have been surprised and maybe a little embarrassed at the attention.”

After graduating from Clarkrange High School in Fentress County, Rebecca attended Tech’s Whitson-Hester School of Nursing (WHSON), graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 1990. She became a certified professional in Healthcare Quality and later earned her master’s in nursing from Tech as well.

“Rebecca wanted to help people, and being a nurse was a way she could do that,” Allen said.

Rebecca worked at Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville for 29 years as the director of the Intensive Care Unit and Telemetry, director of Risk Management and ultimately as the chief nursing officer. In her various roles at CMC, she was responsible for hiring new nurses. Allen recalls that she was confident in hiring graduates from Tech, because she knew firsthand how prepared Tech’s WHSON graduates are.

In 2019, Rebecca left a career in healthcare to work as the district director for United States Congressman John Rose in the 6th Congressional District of Tennessee. Allen says she felt her background was beneficial in working with constituents and providers in navigating the complicated healthcare landscape.

Allen says his family is a Tech family. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s in professional studies from Tech and serves as mayor of Cumberland County. Allen and Rebecca have two children – Dr. Brooke Foster Wright and Shade Foster. Brooke decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps, earning a bachelor’s degree and a doctor of nursing practice degree from Tech. Like his parents, Shade wanted to give back to his community and serves as a police officer for Crossville (Cumberland County).

When Rebecca passed away, Allen says the idea to honor her through a scholarship actually came from a conversation Rebecca previously had with Kim Hanna, dean of Tech’s WHSON, when Rebecca served as chair of the WHSON Development Council and Executive Committee of the Development Council.

“During the March 2024 meeting of our Executive Council, we discussed the significance of scholarships for nursing students,” Hanna recalled. “Several members of the council indicated that instead of flowers, they preferred to donate money to scholarships in memory of loved ones because of the long-term benefits of helping students becoming registered nurses who go on to care for the people in our communities. At that moment, Rebecca (who was battling colon cancer) cheerfully turned to me without hesitation and said, ‘I want you to make that happen for me.’”

Rebecca passed away just one month later, on April 24, 2024.

“We knew the scholarship is exactly what Rebecca would have wanted, and we jumped on the opportunity,” Allen said. “It’s just like Rebecca to continue to help others, even after she is gone. Rebecca would be thrilled to know that her scholarship is endowed and will help Tech nursing students in perpetuity.”

The Rebecca Foster Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to students majoring in nursing with preference given to students from Cumberland and Fentress Counties to honor the communities Rebecca called home.

Hanna says she had the privilege of having Rebecca as a student shortly after Hanna joined Tech’s nursing faculty. Rebecca later became a colleague and a friend.

“Rebecca was a people person who was enthusiastic, motivated, compassionate, outgoing and a leader who made a difference in the lives of those around her,” Hanna said.

Allen added, “Rebecca set the bar high. I hope the future recipients of this scholarship will take just a minute to reflect on her life and realize that they can make a difference, too.”