Special Agent Patrick Flickinger

Carolyn and David Nimmo

Stacie Lynn Hays

The Chickasaw Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of four new scholarships this year.

• The Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Scholarship – In Memory of Special Agent Patrick Flickinger

• David & Carolyn Nimmo Graduate Business Scholarship

• Stacie Lynn Hays Memorial Scholarship

• Division on Aging Scholarship

The Chickasaw Tribal Legislature established The Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Scholarship – In Memory of Special Agent Patrick  Flickinger. This scholarship will be awarded to a full-time, u n d e r -graduate Chickasaw student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The student will have to attend a two-or four-year college or university and major in criminal justice, police science or an equivalent course of study. The scholarship is a one time $1,000 award ($500/semester).

Agent Flickinger was killed in the line of duty on March 7, 2008 in Marshall County. He was hired as a uniformed police officer with The Chickasaw Nation’s Lighthorse Police Department on September 27, 2004, and was promoted in October 2007 to Special Agent. He had a total of 16 years of law enforcement experience, was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Agent Flickinger considered it an honor to serve his community and was well respected within the law enforcement community. A member of the Lighthorse Police Dive Team and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWT) Team, Agent Flickinger was known for his abilities and loyal devotion as an officer.

David and Carolyn Nimmo established the David & Carolyn Nimmo Graduate Business Scholarship to be awarded to a Chickasaw student attending an accredited college or university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The student must be pursuing an MBA. The scholarship is a one time $500 award ($250/semester).

David and Carolyn have been directly involved with the Chickasaw Nation for many years. Carolyn served as a member of the Chickasaw Nation Health System Board of Directors, Chickasaw Education Scholarship Committee, Director of Special Programs, and as an advisory board member of the Chickasaw Foundation. David served as General Counsel for the Chickasaw Nation and currently serves as the Chief Legal Officer of Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc.

Carolyn is the daughter of Estelle Hill, and the great-great-granddaughter of Cyrus Harris, the first governor of The Chickasaw Nation. The Nimmos have two sons, Michael, an attorney in Denver, Colorado, and Matthew, a doctor of veterinary medicine in Ocala, Florida.

“It is a great privilege for us to give back to The Chickasaw Nation through this endowed scholarship,” the Nimmos said. “The Chickasaw Nation is making great strides in creating jobs in the world of business for its young members. We all need to do what we can to help them gain the education and training that will equip them for these future opportunities. “David has had the opportunity to see a need for support of Chickasaw students pursuing a graduate degree in business.”

Phil and Trish (Fowler) Hays, Greg, Kara, Alex and Caitlin Hays established the Stacie Lynn Hays Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to a full-time Chickasaw student with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Undergraduate students in any accredited two-or four-year college or university majoring in counseling with a preference for students focusing on domestic violence prevention may apply. The scholarship will be a one time $1,000 award ($500/semester).

Stacie, born January 2, 1967, in Ada, Oklahoma, was the beloved daughter of Phillip and Patricia (Trisha) Hays and sister to Greg. Stacie is the great -granddaughter of Melinda Gibson Blackwood, original enrollee of The Chickasaw  Nation. Stacie’s maternal grandparents are the late Nicolas Bit and Lillian Blackwood Fowler (Lillian was the first nutrition specialist for The Chickasaw Nation) of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. Paternal grandparents are Mary Helen and the late Harve Hays, of Wynnewood, Oklahoma. Stacie was special….

Stacie was a championship student-athlete at Moore Public Schools in Moore, Oklahoma for 11 years and DeQueen High School, in DeQueen, Arkansas where she graduated in 1985. After high school, Stacie obtained her bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and the Chickasaw Nation provided partial grant funding for her education. Stacie’s unique skills of compassion, love of people, and kindness to all made her a “natural” as she pursued her teaching and business career. She taught special education students in Little Rock, Arkansas prior to establishing her business in Columbia, South Carolina, where she resided for 12 years.

Throughout Stacie’s life she was personally involved supporting those in difficult situations or less fortunate than herself. As a teenager, Stacie taught summer activities for mentally challenged children and volunteered at Special Olympics events. Stacie had the natural ability to make each child feel like the most important person in the world while in her presence. Her passion for special children continued through college and after graduation as she pursued her initial vocation as a special education teacher. After several years of teaching special education in Arkansas, she began her own business to help those who need help finding gainful employment, always ensuring employees were treated with the greatest dignity and respect.

It is befitting that Stacie’s legacy continue with this scholarship so that those who are victim to domestic abuse and violence can find refuge, and those who are not may never find themselves in a situation where they are subjected to mental, emotional, spiritual or physical abuse.

Stacie lived life to the fullest and was a precious blessing to her family and friends. Her loving spirit, contagious laughter and her prized relationship with her family and circle of friends made her a treasure to all she met. She was always so proud of her family, friends and her Chickasaw heritage, often accompanying her grandmother to special events such as “powwows.”

The Chickasaw Nation Division on Aging established the Division on Aging Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to a full-time Chickasaw student in their junior or senior year at an accredited college or university. Students majoring in a geriatrics related field will be considered. The scholarship will be a one time $1,000 award ($500/semester).