Planning a Path for Student Success

While Jeanette McNeill, MSN, DrPh, RN ’78 ’87, might have happened upon her professional field by chance, she wants to help ensure tomorrow’s nurses have a clear path to success.

“We can’t just hope other people have the great experiences we have had,” she says. “We have to plan for that. We have to invest in the future.”

Dr. McNeill originally pursued pediatric nursing at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, but she was asked to help in oncology, where she discovered a passion for serving cancer patients. An invitation to teach led to a newfound joy in sharing knowledge with the next generation.

To help support future nurses, she established the Charles and Sybil Nolan Oncology Nursing Endowed Scholarship at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston in 1998 in honor of her parents, who believed strongly in education. In 2019, she decided to bolster that fund through her estate plan, which will further help students to become skilled caregivers and nursing leaders.

UTHealth Houston has long been her home, both as a teacher and student. Dr. McNeill earned a master’s degree from Cizik School of Nursing and doctorate from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She taught at the nursing school for 27 years, holding various leadership positions and being honored as a Distinguished Alumni in 2002.

Incorporating charitable giving into her estate plan has enabled her to do more for UTHealth Houston than she could have otherwise, and she finds it exceptionally meaningful to support a university that has played a major role in her life.

“With estate planning, I could give back for all of the good things that happened to me there,” Dr. McNeill says. “UTHealth Houston was formative in my life. It helped me grow as an educator, nurse, and person.”