Retired faculty create CMU’s first nursing scholarship

Central Michigan University was at the heart of Sydney and Mary Walston’s lives, and they, in turn, helped shape the university — including the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The Walstons were warm and kind faculty and leaders, steadfast CMU champions, and a force behind ideas for how the university could serve students and the state. 

Mary taught courses such as women’s health, gerontology and cadaver anatomy. She also started development in the 1980s of a CMU bachelor’s degree in nursing, driven as a nurse herself to address the need for skilled graduates. After the BSN effort stalled, she helped develop Central’s highly regarded physician assistant program. 

From 1971 through 2001, Syd taught health sciences courses and served as department chair. He is described as a diplomat who pushed students and faculty to be better, and his strong relationship with then-President Leonard Plachta helped make progress happen. 

After Mary passed away in June 2023 at age 83, Syd began efforts to create the Mary Walston BSN Scholarship. It is the first scholarship for students in CMU’s long-awaited, on-campus nursing program, which launches this fall. 

“Syd wanted to be a trailblazer for the nursing program, memorializing Mary’s leadership,” said Jennifer Cotter, CMU vice president for Advancement. “He and Mary had profound impact on Central Michigan University, its students and faculty. They always worked hard to give students the support and experiences they needed to excel.”

Syd passed away Jan. 24, at age 84, before meeting the scholarship’s first recipient, who will be named this spring. He was confident, though, that CMU nursing graduates would be special people. 

“CMU is a great school. It has great students and great faculty,” Syd said in a Jan. 6 interview. “When I was department chair, I read every student evaluation for every faculty member. And I can tell you, CMU has very good faculty. I enjoyed leading our faculty, but I enjoyed our students most of all.”

The couple also started a financial award in 2000 supporting CMU juniors or seniors majoring in school health education or public health education, or students in the Master of Public Health program. The award funds attendance and participation in professional conferences.

The Walstons, who were married 63 years, gave $160,000 for the two endowments, which will support CMU students in perpetuity.

Greg Zimmerman, interim dean of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions, was among the Walstons’ thousands of students.

“More than 40 years ago, I sat in Syd’s classroom. He was a beacon of inspiration — a catalyst for so many of us to dream beyond our current aspirations,” Zimmerman said. “Mary and Syd’s legacy will be intertwined forever with the heart of this university.”

CMU BSN Director Nelda Martinez said the program will emphasize nursing in rural areas, where needs often are affected by fewer community resources. Collaboration among medical professionals is important, with nurses helping to figure out how to get patients access to services, including through technology and partnerships, Martinez said. 

CMU is a leader in such interprofessional collaboration, bringing students together from various health care programs for joint learning experiences. 

The BSN program will begin with 30 students this fall and admit 30 each semester for the first two years, increasing to up to 45 students per semester thereafter. Nursing students will be immersed in high-tech lab simulation experiences, use of AI for medical care and real-life, community-based clinicals.

“Syd is a great reflection of the support that surrounds our students and this university,” Martinez said. “And Mary represents the history of CMU’s nursing program. Her efforts helped get us to this exciting point.”