Photo left to right: 2020 Graduates of the McLeod School of Medical Technology: Victoria Meyers, Katherine Lester, Ashleigh Todd, Sierra Lind, and Caleb McClary.

A graduation ceremony was held at McLeod Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, for graduates of the McLeod School of Medical Technology. Celebrating their certificates of completion were Katherine Lester, Sierra Lind, Caleb McClary, Victoria Meyers, and Ashleigh Todd.

In existence since 1977, the McLeod School of Medical Technology has graduated 196 students from the program. A Medical Laboratory Scientist plays an important role in the prevention and diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and diabetes. They perform laboratory tests on specimens and in turn these tests assist physicians in verifying the causes of illnesses, aid in making medical decisions and in determining treatment options for their patients.

“This has been a very challenging but highly rewarding year for the graduates,” said Dr. Sharon Mitchell, Program Medical Director. “This group is well prepared for whatever direction their career path leads them.”

Both Todd and Lind were recipients of scholarship funds for the McLeod School of Medical Technology. These scholarships were made possible through generous donations to the McLeod Foundation.

Lind received the Kyra Nettles Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2000 by Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pavy to provide financial assistance for a student enrolled in the McLeod School of Medical Technology.

Todd was the recipient of the Dr. Vera C. Hyman Medical Technology Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2017 by Dr. Hyman also to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the program at McLeod. Dr. Hyman was instrumental in the establishment of the Medical Technology Program at McLeod.

Todd was also the recipient of the Helen F. Bush Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 1991, in memory of Helen F. Bush, who worked in the laboratory for many years at McLeod Health. After her death in 1988 of cancer, her co-workers published the MRMC Laboratory Cookbook to raise funds to establish this scholarship in her memory.

As April Orange, Program Director for the McLeod School of Medical Technology remarked to the graduates, “I am proud of the skills they have gained by adapting to the situation we have all been placed under during a pandemic. They all stayed strong and now go forward as competent, successful Medical Laboratory Scientists.”

For more information on the McLeod School of Medical Technology, visit their website at www.peedeeahec.net.