Every year, the physicians at the Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (MMC) Comprehensive Breast Center care for the medical needs of hundreds of women diagnosed with breast cancer. From detection to restoration, patients are guided on a unique journey toward recovery. But in 2019, MMC decided to extend care beyond its facilities to honor the families of breast cancer patients.

The Crystal Scholarship was created to assist children of MMC’s breast cancer patients in continuing their education beyond high school.

“As a mom myself, I know that the people I would worry about most, should I ever develop a life-threatening condition, are my children,” said Dr. Lisa White, a provider at MMC’s Comprehensive Breast Center. “This scholarship is our way of showing our patients that we care about not only them, but those individuals who are dearest to them.”

The name of the ‘Crystal’ Scholarship was inspired by MMC patient, Crystal Brown. Crystal cared deeply about her 3 boys, Michael, Matthew and Mason and her husband, Jeff. Her oldest son Michael received the inaugural scholarship in May 2019. Since the scholarship’s inception in 2019, almost $20,000 of funding has been provided to high school seniors graduating from schools all over the state. These students have then gone on to pursue careers ranging from nursing to marine biology to international law. In May 2021, the Crystal Scholarship was awarded to 9 high school seniors.