Published September 29, 2021
St. David’s Foundation is pleased to honor the legacy of Dr. W. Neal Kocurek with a scholarship program in his name to support Central Texas students pursuing health-related studies at Texas colleges and universities.
A beloved civic and corporate leader, Dr. Kocurek was passionate about the power of education. He possessed a special gift for bringing people together to achieve progress in areas such as healthcare, public education, social equity, and regional stewardship. He was also deeply invested in the challenge of providing healthcare for the poor and addressing the root causes of health inequities in Austin.
Beginning October 1, applications are being accepted for the 2022 St. David’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship. High school seniors from Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties are highly encouraged to apply if they have a passion for a career in health care and will be attending a university or college within the state of Texas.
What began with seven scholars in 2005 has evolved into the largest health scholarship program in Texas. The St. David’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship has supported more than 600 Central Texas students to date, including 72 program graduates in 2021.
This program nurtures the next generation of healthcare professionals throughout the college journey by providing a robust tutoring program, wellness coaching, mental health services, financial assistance, and one-on-one mentorship with an accomplished medical professional. Many of these students go on to graduate school and/or medical school, and each of them pours the skills and expertise gained from their time as a scholar back into their communities.
Graduating scholars have pursued a wide range of professions ranging from biomedical engineering and physical therapy, to dentistry, dermatology, and kinesiology. This professional diversity ensures a holistic approach to advancing community health and fosters a robust pipeline of health care professionals to provide care and support across multiple aspects of health and well-being.
The scholarship application will remain open until January 7, 2022. To learn more or to apply to the program, visit the website here.