Montana Tech student pursues nursing dreams with help of Lance Scholars Program

When Taylor McKinley-Whitcomb of Victor was trying to choose a college, she thoroughly explored her options.

“I applied to every college in Montana,” McKinley-Whitcomb said. “My mom and I started touring campuses. When I toured Montana Tech, I felt like I was at home, and I never toured another campus. I was set on Tech.”

McKinley-Whitcomb then set out to fund her education.

“I applied for every scholarship I possibly could,” she said.

McKinley-Whitcomb was selected for the inaugural cohort of Montana Technological University’s Lance Scholars Program. The program annually provides 50 in-state students with the opportunity to receive a $4,000 per year scholarship, renewable for up to an additional three years (up to $16,000 total). It was established through the generosity of Ryan (Petroleum Engineering, ’84) and Lisa Lance. Ryan has served as the CEO of ConocoPhillips since 2012. The Lance family made a $31 million donation to Montana Tech in Spring 2022, most of which is dedicated to the Lance Scholars Program.

“I knew this was something that was going to truly impact me,” McKinley-Whitcomb said. “I had a sigh of relief. It’s such a large scholarship and I have another impactful one from my local community.”

McKinley-Whitcomb enrolled in the Sherry Lesar School of Nursing and was able to meet the Lances at a reception for the Lance Scholars in October.  

“You could see the impact they want to make on students with this scholarship,” McKinley-Whitcomb said. “When I met Ryan and Lisa, I could see through the light in their eyes when they saw all of us how much they care about us as students. That was the most heartwarming thing ever.”

McKinley-Whitcomb has worked as a patient sitter at Bitterroot Health, and that has sparked her interest in possibly working in the emergency room, labor and delivery, or the NICU in the future.

In addition to her nursing studies, McKinley-Whitcomb also is a student of aviation. She has been learning how to fly airplanes since she was 15 years old, and is 12 hours away from earning her private pilot’s license.

McKinley-Whitcomb grew up flying with her dad and her great-grandpa. She has a letter she wrote to her dad as a young girl, asking him to please take her to have breakfast in the airplane, meaning that she was asking him to take her to a little restaurant in the mountains. Her father passed away in the middle of earning her pilot’s license and she paused her lessons, but eventually picked them back up again.

While she will soon have the ability to fly anywhere she wants, McKinley-Whitcomb says she thinks she wants to keep her feet planted in Montana, and serve patients in her home state.

“My heart is in Montana, so I would struggle leaving,” she said.

McKinley-Whitcomb encourages other prospective students to apply for the Lance Scholars Program.

“I can’t wait to see it impact more students at Montana Tech,” she said.

The Lance Scholars Program is open to Montana high school seniors or transfer students who meet the following criteria:

• Student must have a 3.0 GPA or higher at time of application.
• Student must be a resident of Montana.
• Student must be an incoming first-year, transfer, or a Highlands College student moving to a bachelor’s degree program.
• Student must complete the dedicated scholarship application for the Lance Scholars program.
• Student must complete the FAFSA.

Applicants will be asked in 3-5 sentences to answer the question: During your time at Montana Tech, what is one thing you'd like to learn or experience that has the ability to effect change in the world?

Upon acceptance to Montana Tech, qualifying students will receive a link to apply for the Lance Scholars Program and submit materials on their personal URL (PURL) page. The deadline to apply is February 15. For more information visit www.mtech.edu/lancescholars.