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“When I was a student, I was burning the candle at both ends. I was going to school and working full time. I want to make sure students don’t have to go through what I did.”

Phillip R. Ridgley became a respiratory therapist at age 17, while he was still in high school in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He worked in the field for 10 years while attending college and serving in the United States Army Reserve for a hospital unit. When he enrolled at ����ɬ���� in 1969, he was the first in his family to attend college. His goal was to become a registered nurse. 

“I took general classes at ����ɬ���� while I was in the reserves and declared a major in biology because I missed the deadline for nursing, but I wanted to be a nurse,” Phillip said.

After taking courses for several years, he decided to transfer into a nursing diploma program at Akron General Hospital, but his time at ����ɬ���� held a special place in his heart. Through a bequest, he has created the Phillip R. Ridgley, CRNA, Endowed Scholarship in Nursing to support ����ɬ���� students.

“I studied at the library when I could, and I saw how much I could accomplish when I had the chance to focus,” Phillip explained. “I was trying to the best of my ability, but I think I would have been a better student if I didn’t have to work so much.”

While working as a nurse, Phillip continued his education at the Cleveland Clinic’s School of Nurse Anesthesia, becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).

Phillip thought back on his career and considered how he could help the next generation of medical professionals. He decided he wanted to open doors for ����ɬ���� students pursuing a career in nursing.

“Nurses are an integral part of the medical field, but nursing is also a springboard,” he explained. “We always need nurses, and the field is wide open once you become a nurse. That is the power of the degree.”

He decided to start an endowment so that he could continue to support nursing students into the future and help them focus on their studies in a way that he couldn’t when he was a student.

“If your financial situation warrants it, it is helpful to give back in some way, even a little bit would help. Reflect on what was meaningful to you during your education, and if you can, support something you see as worthwhile. There are so many ways to give back.” 

To learn how you can make an impact and leave a legacy while supporting something you believe in, please contact us at giftplan@kent.edu or 330-672-1000, or visit www.kent.edu/legacy.