Lurana Day and her husband, Leonard, of High Point, N.C., have established a scholarship for nursing students at Fort Hays State University.

The Lurana Day Scholarship will provide financial assistance to nursing students specializing in geriatrics.

Lurana Day, a 1986 graduate of FHSU, is the licensed nursing home administrator and vice president and chief operating officer for Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community, a 400-resident continuing care retirement facility in Winston-Salem, N.C.

"We are grateful for the opportunity that has been provided to the nursing students through the Lurana Day scholarship," said Dr. Liane Connelly, chair of the FHSU Nursing Department. "The care of older adults is a pressing need in our country. Enabling students who have a passion for gerontology to advance their skills in this field of nursing improves the access to care that is needed by this population group."

Day said she had the desire to become a nurse as a child. She received her diploma in nursing at the Wesley School of Nursing in Wichita and later earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from FHSU in 1986. She obtained her master's degree in geriatric nursing from Wichita State University in 1989.

Leonard Day said it was his idea to set up the scholarship in honor of his wife's commitment to her profession. The scholarship highlights the Days' appreciation for the opportunities FHSU provided them and will give similar opportunities to future nursing students.

Lurana said her education was made possible with opportunities of scholarships, work study and other financial support. "Because we are now in a position to be able to give back to FHSU, the scholarship can become a reality," she said.

The Days both received degrees from FHSU. They previously lived in Ellis and still have family residing there.

The FHSU Foundation is an independent, non-profit corporation designated by the state of Kansas to receive gifts on behalf of Fort Hays State University. For more information regarding the Lurana Day Scholarship or the FHSU Foundation, contact (785) 628-5620 or www.fhsu.edu/foundation.