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Three high school seniors from Western Tidewater have been named recipients of the 2025 Obici Healthcare Foundation Career Pathways Scholarship, a prestigious award supporting students pursuing healthcare careers in the region.

Each scholarship provides $10,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study, with the potential for an additional $40,000 for postgraduate education, totaling $80,000 per student. The program, a collaboration between the Obici Healthcare Foundation and the Suffolk Foundation, aims to bolster the local healthcare workforce by encouraging recipients to return to Suffolk or Western Tidewater to practice after completing their education.

This year’s recipients are:

• Kevin Nguyen, Southampton Academy salutatorian, plans to study dental hygiene at Old Dominion University. He aspires to provide accessible dental care in his hometown of Franklin.
• Lailani Hart, a junior graduating early from Smithfield High School, will also attend Old Dominion University, majoring in psychology. She aims to pursue a career in child psychiatry or counseling, focusing on improving mental healthcare services.
• Abigayle Rice, an Isle of Wight Academy senior, intends to enroll in Longwood University’s Honors Program to study nursing. Inspired by her mission work in Tennessee, she hopes to specialize in labor and delivery or neonatal intensive care upon returning to serve her community.
  

The Obici Healthcare Foundation, established in 2006, focuses on improving health outcomes in the region by supporting programs that address medical needs and prevent illness. The Suffolk Foundation manages charitable funds, including this scholarship, to benefit local communities.