Nursing Alum Memorialized Loved Ones

MGA Nursing Alum Memorialized Loved Ones with Scholarships

For Sandra Couch, scholarships are a meaningful way to honor loved ones while helping students achieve their dreams. A 1987 nursing graduate of Macon State College, Sandra has established two scholarships at Middle Georgia State University in memory of her late husband, James, and her late son, Patrick.

In 2004, she created the James R. Couch, R. N. Memorial Nursing Scholarship to honor her husband, a 1997 Macon State nursing graduate. In 2019, she established the Patrick Michael Couch Memorial Scholarship, which she endowed in 2025, ensuring lasting support for future aviation students. Together, the scholarships have benefited numerous nursing and aviation students at MGA.

Sandra’s giving is rooted in gratitude. She believes her family has been richly blessed and wants to share those blessings with others while supporting the university that positively impacted all three of their lives.
After a 27-year career in industrial engineering, James Couch pursued a career in nursing and became the Director of Nursing at Bolingreen Nursing Center. Sandra remembers his unwavering dedication to caring for others. He passed away in 2002 at age 55.

Patrick Couch dreamed of a career in aviation. After a motorcycle accident prevented him from becoming a pilot, he shifted his focus to aerospace maintenance management through the Heart of Georgia aviation program in Eastman, now part of the MGA School of Aviation. He was one semester away from earning his degree when he died in an airplane accident in 2004.

Sandra continues to share Patrick’s inspiring story with scholarship recipients, encouraging them to persevere through challenges and pursue their goals.

MGA is only one of several institutions benefiting from Sandra’s generosity. She has established multiple scholarships at colleges and universities, reflecting her belief that blessings are meant to be shared. Through her philanthropy, Sandra has transformed personal loss into lasting opportunities for students, ensuring that the legacies of James and Patrick continue to impact lives for generations to come.