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Hyden awarded the Nickolas R. Bailey Memorial Scholarship

31 August 2021

Bailey Memorial Scholarship Recipient Picture Allison Hyden, Minnie, a senior, has been awarded the Nickolas R. Bailey Memorial Scholarship for 2021-22.

“This scholarship means so much to Nick’s family and the MSU social work family, and I am so honored to be receiving it. Social Work is about helping others and putting good out in the world. Nick did this by putting his passion and heart into his work and I hope to continue that legacy,” Hyden said.

The scholarship is named in honor of the late Nickolas R. Bailey. The Mousie native passed away from a motorcycle accident in Floyd County at the age of 25. Bailey was a family preservation and reunification specialist for KVC Behavioral HealthCare. He graduated from MSU Prestonsburg with a bachelor’s degree in social work and volunteered with the Prestonsburg Student Association of Social Work (SASW).

Bailey’s wife, Jessica, his son, Greyson, along with family and friends, were in attendance for the presentation Wednesday, Aug. 25.

“We are all so honored that there is a scholarship that will be awarded in Nick’s name,” said Jessica, also an MSU alum. “He valued his education and always wanted to set a good example for our son. He was an amazing husband and an even more amazing father. With this scholarship, our son will grow up knowing education is important and be reminded of everything his dad accomplished.”

The Morehead State University Foundation and the Social Work Program at MSU Prestonsburg established the scholarship in 2019 to benefit MSU at Prestonsburg students. The scholarship recipient must be a first-semester senior in the social work program at MSU Prestonsburg with a minimum 3.5 overall GPA, an interest in social justice and a documented history of volunteer social work.

“Awarding this scholarship is so very important to me personally. Nick was an amazing student who was truly an asset to our program, community, and profession. This scholarship is just one way to ensure his legacy and his impact on this world remains even beyond his tragic death,” said Deirdra Robinson, the social work program facilitator at MSU at Prestonsburg.

MSU at Prestonsburg provides educational and training opportunities for Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin, Pike and surrounding counties. MSU has had a presence in Prestonsburg and the surrounding area for more than 50 years. To learn more about MSU at Prestonsburg, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/prestonsburg or call 606-783-5421.

Details about MSU’s social work program can be found by visiting www.moreheadstate.edu/study/socialwork or by contacting the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Criminology at d.murphy@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2656.

For more information on this scholarship, or to establish your own, contact MSU’s Office of Alumni Relations and Development at 606-783-2033, email giving@moreheadstate.edu or visit alumni.moreheadstate.edu/give to contribute today.

Photo, left to right: Deirdra Robinson, the social work program facilitator at MSU at Prestonsburg; Allison Hyden, scholarship winner; and Jessica Bailey and Greyson Bailey.