The Stanley Memorial Fund Scholarship
Beverly Stanley was present as a student at the initial meeting that led to the formation of KSHA and went on to serve the Association with extraordinary dedication for over 30 years. Her deep love for the profession (and for Kentucky) guided her decades of service on KSHA’s Executive Council, including her tenure as President. During that time, she led the successful campaign for passage of Kentucky’s initial licensure law.
Beverly chaired the Honors Committee for many years and tirelessly advocated for student support, ultimately securing the establishment of a KSHA-funded scholarship named in her honor.
In addition to her volunteer leadership within KSHA, she represented Kentucky for two terms on ASHA’s Legislative Council and served two terms on the Kentucky Licensure Board.
For 42 years, Beverly taught audiology at the University of Kentucky, becoming a formative figure in the education of generations of speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
Her contributions were recognized with KSHA’s Honors of the Association in both 1973 and 2003, and with the Johanna B. Hancock Award in 1992, the Association’s highest honor.
The Steckol Memorial Fund Scholarship
Dr. Karen Candy Steckol was a beloved member of Kentucky’s speech-language pathology community and a proud Associate Professor at the University of Louisville. A nationally respected expert in child language, she championed evidence-based practice long before it became widely recognized. Her passion for the profession and dedication to clinical excellence made her a transformative leader within the Kentucky Speech-Language-Hearing Association (KSHA).
During her tenure with KSHA, Dr. Steckol served as President and played a pivotal role in expanding the annual convention into one of the largest of its kind in the nation. She received the DiCarlo Clinical Achievement Award in 1983 and the Honors of the Association in 1985. She was also an ASHA Fellow, a consulting editor for the Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, a prolific author, and a frequently invited speaker.
Though she later served as Dean at both St. Louis University and Buffalo State College and concluded her academic career at the University of Alabama, Dr. Steckol remained deeply connected to Kentucky. She returned often to attend the KSHA convention, reflecting her enduring bond with the community she helped shape.
Dr. Steckol was an inspiring mentor who fostered critical thinking, professional growth, and lifelong learning in all those she taught and led.
KSHA’s RISE (Respect, Inclusion, Support, Equity) Scholarship
KSHA is committed to fostering a more inclusive and equitable future within the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. Recognizing the importance of representation and access, the 2) RISE (formerly DEI) Scholarship was established to support students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.
This scholarship reflects KSHA’s mission to ensure that individuals across all areas of identity — including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, and more — have the opportunity to succeed and contribute to the profession. By investing in the next generation of diverse clinicians and researchers, KSHA aims to promote culturally responsive care and broaden the impact of communication sciences and disorders across Kentucky and beyond.