The gift agreement is dated April 14, 2019, the day that would have been their 35th wedding anniversary. To remember a lifetime of love and support and a career of caring, on that day Scott Hill ’83 made official the Susan P. Hill Memorial Oncology Scholarship.
The $25,000 gift will establish a fund to support outstanding nursing students interested in a career in oncology, the field that Susan Hill ’86 dedicated 33 years to before passing away last fall following her own battle with a brain tumor.
“Her spirit was expressed through what she did in her career. She loved to take care of people. Her former patients and their families still write her letters to this day,” said Scott Hill.
Susan Hill, who was born and raised in Cornelius, North Carolina, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC Charlotte in 1986. It was there that she, a freshman, met senior Scott (College of Architecture Class of 1983). They married even before her sophomore year ended.
Susan Hill began her nursing career in 1986 at the oncology section of Charlotte’s Presbyterian Hospital; she selected oncology because it was the area where she felt she could make the biggest impact. After 16 years at the hospital, she went on to outpatient practice with Lake Norman Hematology/Oncology Specialists.
Hill’s commitment to caretaking was known to spill beyond office hours, prompting off the clock follow-ups with patients and weekend visits.
“Nursing was not just a profession to her, but a way of life,” said Scott Hill.
That essence was revealed as she administered treatments to her father and stood beside her parents as they fought and won his battle with Stage IV cancer. Hill also cared for her husband during a prolonged illness.
Through the scholarship, Scott Hill hopes to continue his wife’s legacy of professional, empathetic efforts in nursing oncology.
“I hope that my wife’s personality rubs off on the students that benefit from this scholarship. To Susan, it was a calling. I hope the students feel that way too.”
Photos are courtesy of Scott Hill