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PrintChitty Receives Hospital Trustee Scholarship
Whitney Chitty, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brent Chitty, is the winner of the Colquitt County Hospital Authority’s 2009 Trustee Scholarship named this year in memory of Rev. J.E. Moak, the hospital’s long-time chaplain who passed away June 21.
Chitty, a graduate of Colquitt County High School, received her degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (speech pathology) at Valdosta State University earlier this year and plans to pursuer a master’s degree this fall. She graduated Valdosta State with a 3.78 grade point average.
Rev. Moak was chaplain at Colquitt Regional for 18 years and served as pastor of Moultrie’s First Baptist Church for 26 years prior to that.
Durwood Dominy, past chairman of the Authority who presented the scholarship, pointed out the irony of him having the opportunity to present a scholarship named for his former pastor to a recipient who is a life-long member of that church. It was also pointed out that the recipient’s great-grandmother was on the First Baptist search committee that brought Rev. Moak to Moultrie.
“He was well respected by so many people in this community,” Dominy said. “I wish he could have been here. I am just so tickled that he knew that this was going to happen. And I know that he was pleased that it would be somebody like Whitney who he saw grow up from the time she was a baby.”
A plaque in honor of Rev. Moak and the naming of the 2009 scholarship was presented to his widow, Mrs. Roberta Moak, who attended the ceremony with her son, Mark, and daughter, Mary Ann Smith.
Mark Moak praised Chitty for pursuing a career in speech pathology and said recent experience had taught him a lot about what speech pathologists do.
“I’ve learned a lot over the last month or so about speech pathology,” Moak said. “Daddy used the services of a speech pathologist. I had no idea that speech pathologists participated in swallowing therapy, so I learned quite a bit and have learned to appreciate what speech pathologists do. Certainly people in the future like our dad will be receiving these services, so you are embarking on good work.”
Chitty said as a child she was somewhat accident prone and had utilized Colquitt Regional Medical Center many times and she believes that led her toward a healthcare field.
“I have vivid memories of Rev. Moak coming every time to visit me in the hospital and how special that was,” she said.