OSU-CHS awards inaugural PA scholarships in Audrey Hendershot's name

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Media Contact: Kayley Spielbusch | Digital Communications Specialist | 918-561-5759 | kspielb@okstate.edu

For the first time since its launch in 2021, the OSU Center for Health Sciences Physician Assistant program has awarded five students with scholarships. 

Three scholarships were established in Audrey Hendershot’s name to recognize physician assistant students committed to advancing the program's mission — to enhance competent and compassionate health care in rural and underserved Oklahoma.

“The place a person grows up should not determine the quality of care they receive. However, for many rural residents of Oklahoma, access to health care remains out of reach. This is where our mission and the legacy of Audrey Hendershot come to life,” said Amy Harrison, director of the physician assistant program at OSU-CHS. 

Hendershot was an OSU alumna and lifelong supporter of the university. Born in 1923, she grew up on a farm in rural western Tulsa County. Her family’s only access to health care was through the Oklahoma Osteopathic Hospital, now known as the OSU Medical Center. 

The experience sparked her passion for improving health care access in rural areas. Previously, she established multiple scholarships to support medical students with a focus on those committed to underserved communities. 

The three new scholarships awarded in Hendershot’s name are the Rural Physician Assistant Scholarship, the Scholarship for Incoming Physician Assistant Students and the Academic Excellence Scholarship for Physician Assistant Students. 

Harrison emphasized that these scholarships provide more than just financial support. They support the program’s mission and open opportunities for students to select rural clinical rotations with fewer financial concerns.

“We’ve been given a powerful affirmation of our vision to educate physician assistant students who are clinically excellent and called to serve where they are most needed,” she said. 

The Rural Physician Assistant Scholarship, honoring second and third-year students who are committed to the program's mission, was awarded to Dylan Gardner and Brianna Maguire.

Gardner, who chose to become a PA because he has always felt called to serve others, said receiving this scholarship is unbelievable. 

“It’s not just financial support; it’s encouragement. It’s a reminder that others believe in me and the kind of provider I hope to become. It helps lift some of the burden so I can focus more fully on my training and serving others well, both now and in the future,” he said. 

The Scholarship for Incoming Physician Assistant Students recognizes a first-year student who is dedicated to serving rural Oklahoma, and it was awarded to Macey Sexton. 

Sexton grew up on a small cattle ranch in southeast Oklahoma, where she saw firsthand the health care disparities rural communities face. Becoming a physician assistant is the next step in her calling to serve rural Oklahoma. 

“This scholarship represents an investment not just in my education, but in my future patients that come from the same backroads, ranches and small towns that influenced me,” she said. 

Darci Peach and Braeden McKee were awarded the Academic Excellence Scholarship for Physician Assistant Students, which recognizes second and third-year students who have maintained a high academic standing while enrolled at OSU-CHS. 

Peach, who also grew up in rural Oklahoma, witnessed how limited health care access affects patients. The experience stuck with her and shaped her desire to make a difference in rural and underserved areas. 

For her, receiving the scholarship is a meaningful recognition of her hard work. 

“It reminds me that my efforts are seen and valued. More importantly, it reminds me of all the people who have supported me along the way and inspires me to pay that generosity forward in the lives of others,” Peach said.

These scholarships serve as a reminder of the impact one person’s vision can have on generations of health care professionals. 

“Audrey Hendershot never forgot where she came from and now, thanks to her generosity and that of her estate, our students are inspired to do the same,” Harrison said. “Her legacy is shaping the future of rural health care in Oklahoma, one physician assistant student at a time.”