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Thirty five Columbia Basin College second-year nursing students received $2,000 scholarships this year thanks to the Jerry D. Thornton estate gift of $1.4 million to the CBC Foundation.
Thornton was a longtime Tri-City resident who graduated from CBC in 1977. He worked for Enterprise Oxygen and delivered supplies to CBC and serviced the Welding program faculty. Jerry developed a great relationship with the Welding program. He became a regular contributor to the CBC Foundation in 2008.
Thornton died in 2011 and in his trust, he named the CBC Nursing program as his sole beneficiary. He directed his trust fund to pay tuition costs for needy nursing students. This year's class is the first of the Jerry D. Thornton Scholarship for Nursing. Through his benevolence, students will have the opportunity to graduate and enter a career where service to others is paramount. What a fitting tribute to the vision of Jerry D. Thornton.