Dr. Ethel E. Johnson Memorial Scholarship

The Florida Society for Respiratory Care is proud to offer scholarships in memory of a dedicated Florida Board of Respiratory Care Board Member and accomplished South Florida Educator, Dr. Ethel E. Johnson. The Dr. Ethel E. Johnson Memorial Scholarship awards up to four (4) Respiratory Care Students at different levels of education who have demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of respiratory care and to public health. The scholarship recipients receive $500, a free one-year membership to the AARC/FSRC post-graduation, and an invitation to the annual Sunshine Seminar to receive their award.

View requirements and steps for applying below, and keep an eye out for the 2026 application coming in Fall of 2025.

	Kayla Gibson ASRT Recipient Daytona State College
	Tamyra Louis ASRT Recipient Hillsborough Community College
	Nikauris Santos Nunez ASRT Recipient Hillsborough Community College
	Kyla Zozaya BSRT-DA Recipient Daytona State College

About Dr. Ethel E. Johnson

Dr. Ethel E. Johnson
1952-2008

Dr. Ethel E. Johnson was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush as a consumer member to The Florida Board of Respiratory Care (BORC) on November 1, 1999. Over the next 7 years, Dr. Johnson was appointed to three consecutive terms on the board and served until she was stricken in mid-2006 with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

During her tenure with the BORC, Dr. Johnson served as the Community Relations Liaison and as a member of the Probable Cause Panel, which she loved tremendously. As stated by her sister Mikki Thompson, even during her illness, she declared that she would always be a voice for consumers getting what they needed.

Dr. Johnson’s passion for youth always linked her in some capacity to investing into the future of our youth. She so diligently served on the State Tobacco Free Florida Coalition Partnership, “Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Advisory Committee”. That campaign led to an in-your-face response by youth resulting in a significant decrease in teen smoking shortly after the Florida tobacco settlement.

As an educator in Miami Dade County, Dr. Johnson left a legacy, a smile and laughter not to be forgotten. It is most fitting that in her memory the FSRC has created the Dr. Ethel E. Johnson Memorial Scholarship, awarded to deserving respiratory students to promote and enhance the respiratory profession.

Scholarships Available:

• Respiratory Care AS students – (2) $500 scholarships awarded
• Respiratory Care advanced degree students (BS or MS) – (2) $500 scholarships awarded

Scholarship Criteria: 

• Non-Tobacco User
• Be currently enrolled in a Florida Respiratory Care Program (AS, BS, or MS)
• Have completed at least 1 semester of Respiratory Care Courses
• Be an active member of the AARC/FSRC
• Complete application and upload all required documents
• Have school fill out the Respiratory Care Program Verification form and submit to the FSRC

Please follow the below steps to apply:

Step 1: Before applying, you will need to complete the following documents for uploading into the application:
     a. Write a personal statement with the following requirements: (required)
              i. Top of page – “Personal Statement” and Applicant Name
             ii. 150-200 words describing: 
               1. Yourself and your background 
               2. Reason for choosing Respiratory Care 
            iii. Formatting of paper
               1. 1” margins 
               2. Times New Roman 
               3. 12 pt. font size 
               4. Double-spaced
               5. Correct Spelling and Grammar
           iv. Save the document as Personal Statement and Applicant Name in .pdf format
               1. Example: Personal Statement Paul Jones.pdf
     b. Write an Essay with the following requirements: (required)
             i. Cover Page 
                1. Title “FSRC Scholarship Essay”  
                2. Applicant name
            ii. 250-500 words describing the following:
               1. Academic Success and/or Challenges in school 
               2. Community service while in school 
               3. Collaboration experience with fellow students, instructors, healthcare team at facilities, and/or students of other professions 
               4. Career goals (where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?)  
           iii. Formatting of paper
               1. 1” margins 
               2. Times new Roman 
               3. 12 pt. Font size 
               4. Double-spaced 
               5. Spelling and Grammar
          iv. Save the document as FSRC Scholarship Essay and Applicant Name in .pdf format
               1. Example: FSRC Scholarship Essay Paul Jones.pdf
     c. Community Service document (if applicable)
            i. Create a document titled Community Service and your name
           ii. Submit community service hours completed while in the Respiratory Care program and share what you have learned or gained from these experiences
          iii. Include the community events and number of hours completed
          iv. Save the document as Community Service and Applicant Name in .pdf format
                1. Example: Community Service Paul Jones.pdf
     d. Honors and/or Awards (if applicable)
            i. Create a document titled Honors/Awards and your name
           ii. This document should show any honors or awards you have received while in your respiratory care program including dates or semesters received
          iii. Save the document as Honors/Awards and Applicant Name in .pdf format
                1. Example: Honors/Awards Paul Jones.pdf
     e. Letter of Recommendation (required)
            i. Submit a letter of recommendation from anyone who can attest to your dedication to your schooling and the profession of Respiratory Care
                 1. They should include who they are and how they know you
           ii. Please note this letter may not be from your Program Manager or Director of Clinical Education

Step 2: You may view the Scoring Rubric for Scholarship Application here.

Step 3:  Once you have completed and collected the required documents, complete your application and upload your documents.  
     a. Please make sure the documents are saved as .pdf format when uploading.