"Because of her love for nursing and her dedication to education, we, Carol and Carlton Rizer, hereby pledge to establish an endowment in memory of Pat Chandler Tiller, a nurse and an educator."The opening statement in the 2009 gift agreement from the Rizers is very straightforward. Carol's mother taught nursing, she was a proponent of healthcare as a professional, and they wanted to remember her in a meaningful manner.

Even now the influence and legacy of Mrs. Tiller lives on in the lives of The Rizers as they are both nurse anesthetists practicing in East Texas."My mother had a passion for service, and she found nursing to be the best way to deliver that care and concern," says Carol. "My husband and I believe my mother's life will be remembered and honored through every nursing student that is awarded the scholarship that bears her name."

Carol and Carlton took and extra step to ensure immediate awards for students. The Rizers made a "double" gift by creating both a scholarship endowment and also a current-use scholarship – each in her mother's name. They contributed a gift of $30,000 establishing an endowment that will allow the principal to remain intact in perpetuity and have an impact over a longer period of time than if it were spent all at once.But to meet the immediate demands for nursing scholarships, they pledged

another$40,000 for current-use scholarships, which will be paid in annual installments over the next ten years. "They've covered all the bases," according to Dr. Linda Klotz, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences."I taught Carol and I remember her mother very well. It's a very proud day to have a student and her husband make a gift to her alma mater and to know the extra special meaning behind it."