In Annual Award’s Sixth Year, Amanda Gillard of Athens, TN Given Full Ride to Pursue Her Bachelor’s Degree

Regent_Scholarship_Winner.jpgLansdowne, VA — Care Net, in partnership with Regent University, has awarded a four-year scholarship to Amanda Gillard, a pregnancy center client nominated for the scholarship by Outlook Women’s Services, a Care Net affiliate in Athens, TN, where she received support services.

Regent University, a leading university offering education rooted in a Christian-perspective, has partnered with Care Net, a nonprofit organization that supports the nation’s largest network of pregnancy centers, for the last six years to offer scholarships to clients who have been served by one of Care Net’s 1,130 affiliated centers.

This year’s winner, Amanda Gillard, is a single mother of three children (one in the womb) who visited Outlook Women’s Center at a time of crisis and shame. The center gave her the emotional, material, and spiritual support she needed to get her through a very challenging time in her life. Her goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in management as she pursues a career in healthcare management. Amanda said, “Earning a scholarship for a bachelor degree in management will help me develop more career opportunities. Being a single mother of three pushes me above and beyond to be an excellent role model for my children.”

Shelby Roberts, the center coordinator at Outlook Women’s Services who nominated Amanda for the scholarship, is confident that Amanda will thrive in her life and her career. She said, “Amanda has been the most loyal, most hardworking, and most determined client we have had. Amanda has never once disappointed any of us here at Outlook. Amanda is a single mother who has goals and she will fight until every goal is reached. When Amanda came to us she was shy and intimidated. It has been a joy to have watched her grow into a confident woman.”

Regent_Scholarship_Winner_2-294019-edited.jpgGillard was presented with the scholarship award at the Care Net National Conference in Orlando, FL on September 9. Her 6-year-old daughter, Zoe, was with her as she received the award. Gillard felt it was important to have her daughter present so she could show her the positive example she is working to set for her family. Melissa Nannarone, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Regent University, Ursula Penn, the first scholarship recipient to graduate, and Cynthia Hopkins, Care Net’s Vice President of Center Services and Client Care, presented the award. 

Care Net and Regent University will present the scholarship award again next year at Care Net’s National Conference taking place in Washington, DC from August 29 – September 1. The application process will open by June 2017.

In a competitive process, clients are nominated by their local pregnancy center, submitting applications that are reviewed by a scholarship committee. The successful applicant demonstrates strong leadership potential, determination, academic aptitude, and the ability to thrive in Regent’s rigorous program.

Founded in 1975, Care Net supports one of the largest networks of pregnancy centers in North America and runs the nation’s only real-time call center providing pregnancy decision coaching. Acknowledging that every human life begins at conception and is worthy of protection, Care Net offers compassion, hope, and help to anyone considering abortion by presenting them with realistic alternatives and Christ-centered support through its life-affirming network of pregnancy centers, organizations, and individuals. Learn more at http://www.care-net.org.