Dotty Bennett Harrell

Established in 2005 by Dotty’s husband and in-laws, this scholarship was created in memory of Dotty Bennett Harrell. Dotty was a Northampton County native from a close-knit family, and lived in Jackson most of her life. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at ECU in 1977 and worked at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie where she met her husband. Once her husband finished graduate school at NCSU, they returned to Northampton County, where she worked in the operating room at Halifax Memorial Hospital.

Taking several years off to raise her children, she returned to Halifax Memorial, now Halifax Regional Medical Center, and worked there until she was forced to stop because of her illness. Harrell was first diagnosed with breast cancer and immediately underwent treatment at UNC Hospitals. After receiving good reports, she was sent home but by Fall 2004, she began having headaches. The cancer had spread to her brain, and she underwent surgery; however, she never recovered and died in January 2005.

Harrell epitomized what a nurse should be, even in the final weeks of her life. People claimed how special she was, and how she was always the same, she was never moody about her situation. Her sister-in-law said: “nursing was a part of her life and this scholarship is a positive legacy for her to change the life of a young person who wants to go to nursing school”.

This merit-based scholarship was created to support undergraduate nursing students. First preference for this scholarship will be given to qualified students who are graduates of Northeast Academy Christian School in Lasker, NC. Second preference will be given to otherwise qualified students who are from Northampton or Halifax counties (in that order) in North Carolina.