The Dorothea M. McCray Community College Scholarship (2022)

The Dorothea M. McCray Community College Scholarship was awarded in 2022 in memory of our mother, who we lost in 2021. Dorothea was a healthcare professional and champion of education. As a 1962 graduate of Greater Johnstown High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Dorothea believed that education lessens the challenges one would face in life.

She pursued a career in medicine only to be discouraged by the societal attitudes of the early 1960s that declared African American women incapable of becoming doctors. Undeterred, she did not allow discrimination to stop her from obtaining a degree in nursing. She worked as a registered nurse for many years before serving as a hospital administrator, training and developing healthcare executives. Missing “the field” of nursing, she worked as a mobile unit supervisor for the American Red Cross for the last decade and a half of her healthcare career.

A fierce defender of diversity and inclusion, it is through this scholarship that her work continues to be a pathway for others to pursue their dream of higher learning to make our world a better place for all.

Learn more about the recipient Starlet “Star” Udenze (she/they)