PICKENS — Cannon Memorial Hospital Auxiliary presented the 2016 John Harden Scholarship to hospital employee health and wellness RN Renee Turner at its May meeting.

In addition to working at Cannon for the past 10 years, Turner is also an adjunct nursing instructor at Tri-County Technical College. She graduated in 2003 from the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, and has a total of 13 years of experience as an RN. She recently began working on a Master of Science in nursing-family nurse practioner degree. Turner’s plans are to complete the program in two years and practice in the Pickens area. Turner is married to Matt Turner and has one son, Braxton.

Pictured, from left, are Amanda Cooper, Diana Hancock, Renee Turner and Barbara Woolsey.

The Cannon Memorial Hospital Auxiliary established the Dr. John Harden Scholarship in 1996 as a way of honoring the memory of Dr. John Harden, a physician and surgeon who devoted his life to serving Cannon Memorial Hospital and the people of Pickens County. A $30,000 donation from the late William G. Acker, a trustee emeritus of Cannon Memorial Hospital, helps fund the scholarship program.

The annual $1,000 scholarship is awarded each year to a student planning a career in a health care field. The scholarship is open to students from Pickens High School, Liberty High School, Prince Avenue Prep School and Lakeview Christian Academy. Employees of Cannon Memorial Hospital, their spouses, and children, Cannon volunteers and their children age 25 and under are also eligible, as well as employees of Pickens and Liberty physician practices or dental and eye care practices. Applications are due each spring, and interested students can contact their prospective schools. Applications can also be found at cannonhospital.org.