Columbia College celebrates launch of Nadria Wright memorial scholarship

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia College is celebrating the launch of the Nadria Leeann Wright Memorial Nursing Scholarship Wednesday, nearly two years after her death.

Wright was shot and killed in September 2019 amidst a wave of gun violence in Columbia. She was the seventh person that year to die from gun violence. In March, a judge sentenced Javion Lawhorn to seven years in prison in connection with her death.

At the time of her death, 18-year-old Wright was a freshman nursing student at Columbia College. Now, Wright's namesake scholarship will serve students in the same degree path.

The need-based scholarship will first be awarded in April 2022 to nursing students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Shaundra Hamilton, Wright's mother, said the scholarship was to commemorate what would have been her daughter's 20th birthday.

"This a birthday present that will live on for her forever," Hamilton said.

Jessie Yankee, Hamilton's friend from Missouri Women's Business Center, was one of the first donors to scholarship.

"We knew we needed to do something to help her honor Nadria's memory," Yankee said.

The scholarship is accepting donations online.