The Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce Ryan Bowsher and Blake Donnan, both 2020 graduates of Taylorville High School, have been awarded the 2020 Dr. George Ferry Memorial Scholarship.  This scholarship is administered annually through the Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Ryan Bowsher is the son of Douglas and Tonya Bowsher of Taylorville. He has been accepted to Saint Louis University where he plans to study biology. Even as a child, Bowsher loved the sciences and his dream of becoming a physician began. In high school, he started researching his path for his medical education. It was then he realized the number of years and the expense it would take. Dedicated to making wise choices about his class schedule, Bowsher began taking classes at Lincoln Land Community College the summer after his sophomore year of high school and participated in the College Now program his junior and senior years. Because of this, Bowsher will graduate with an associate degree in biology one week before his high school graduation. Known as a compassionate and caring individual, he has been actively involved in Purple Reign, THS Key Club and the THS National Honor Society. He has volunteered to coach soccer at the Christian County YMCA, worked the Toy Workshop through St. Mary’s and has volunteered at a local nursing home and local food pantry.

Blake Donnan is the son of Chuck and Terri Donnan of Taylorville. He has been accepted to Olney Central College where he will study pre-med with a minor in political science. Donnan would like to become an orthopedic surgeon and become a sports team’s surgeon. The desire to become a physician came at an early age after a trip to an orthopedic doctor for a sports injury. Playing sports is what introduced him to the many professions in the medical field. A recent elbow injury led to a surgical procedure. Watching how the doctor interacted and explained the procedure solidified Donnan’s career path.  His positive and happy attitude has served him well as he has engaged in Student Council and Purple Reign as well as a 4-year varsity Baseball team member. Donnan has spent countless hours of volunteer time working for Missions of Taylorville, coaching youth baseball and helped in recovery efforts after the December 2018 tornado.

The Dr. George Ferry Memorial Scholarships awarded annually by the Ferry family, Mid Illinois Dental Associates, Ltd and Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation. “It is an absolute privilege to be able to award these scholarships to Ryan and Blake, “says Raedena Ryan, executive director of the Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation. “Both of them have educational interests and career aspirations that align with the hospital’s mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve which is something Dr. George Ferry cared so much about.”

The late Dr. George Ferry contributed a lifetime of service, dedication and commitment to his family, his practice, his community and Taylorville Memorial Hospital. Bowsher and Donnan were announced as scholarship recipients during the Taylorville High School Senior Virtual Awards Night on May 15, 2020.

The Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation is a nonprofit, incorporated as a 501(c)3 and organized in 1995.  The Foundation invites and accepts financial gifts to help further the mission of the Taylorville Memorial Hospital.  For more information, please contact the Foundation office at 217-707-5271 or visit TaylorvilleMemorial.org.