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Histotechnology Scholarship Honors a Daughter’s Legacy

By CCBC Stories

December 13^th, 2022

When Lindsay Ruland proclaimed in front of more than 400 people, “Cancer will not be the end of me,” everyone cheered.

When she died six years later of metastatic breast cancer at age 33, her family, friends and former patients were committed to making that statement true.

Ruland was a CCBC student who worked as a histotechnician at a local hospital. Seldom seen, histotechnicians are scientists who painstakingly and with great precision extract tissues from patient samples, and cut and stain them for microscopic study so that doctors, pathologists and researchers can make accurate diagnoses for proper treatment regimens and leading research.

Ruland was a life-long learner and single mom to her adoring daughter. She enjoyed riding horses, writing stories and songs and serving others, including delivering meals for Meals on Wheels for 12 years, and participating in Girl Scouts for 10 years, receiving a Silver Award.

Ruland was also a strong advocate for health care and health care research. She volunteered with numerous organizations supporting cancer research, cystic fibrosis research, juvenile and adult diabetes research and women’s health.

Giving back seemed to be in Ruland’s DNA because her mother Carol Diggs is no stranger to community service. Diggs volunteers with many organizations, including her local church as a pastoral care commissioner. She has twice received a Governor’s Citation from the state of Maryland for her dedication to pursuing excellence in business, her family and her community. Baltimore City also awarded Diggs a citation for leadership and contributions of outstanding service.

Reflecting their commitment to Ruland and community, Carol Diggs and her husband James Siegel chose to honor Ruland’s legacy through a $20,000 gift to CCBC’s Histotechnology program in June 2022. The gift will both honor Ruland and benefit CCBC through the new Lindsay Ruland Black-eyed Susan Histotechnology Scholarship.

Histotechnology Scholarship Honors a Daughter’s Legacy

CCBC’s Histotechnology program was established in 2020 at CCBC Essex after consultation with Johns Hopkins Hospital. The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and has a 100% pass rate for the Board of Certification exam given by the American Society for Clinical Pathology. It is the only degree program for Histotechnology in the state of Maryland.

“We gave this gift to CCBC to not only honor our daughter but to encourage students in the Histotechnology program in the hopes that they [too] will find satisfying careers and use their talents, skills and caring to help others. We also, on the larger scale, hope that the CCBC program will help fill the growing number of job openings and help eliminate the critical shortage of laboratory personnel, including histotechnicians.” —Carol Diggs

“The long-term impact of these resources will enable us to provide more support to our students as they gain the clinical and didactic experience to practice as a histotechnician,” said Candice Grayson, CCBC’s Histotechnology program director. “We are incredibly grateful to the family for choosing CCBC, our students and program.”

Kenneth Westary, CCBC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, added, “No one dies without leaving a legacy and going forward, the late Lindsay Ruland’s impact will be measured through the support and resources offered to CCBC students in the Histotechnology program. We are thankful for this tremendous investment in our students.”

As the Maryland state flower, the Black-eyed Susan held special meaning for Ruland, who loved the annual Black-eyed Susan Day during Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. She designed and made the Black-eyed Susan hat that won the hat contest at Maryland Million Day.

“Her friends and others relate the Black-eyed Susan with Lindsay, and we thought it was a fitting symbol of her commitment to Maryland, health care, caring, service and education,” Diggs said.

The Diggs-Siegel gift will make a high-quality education possible for qualified CCBC students, whether they are high school graduates or career changers. Diggs understands the importance of education for all ages and stages of life. Her mother became a licensed practical nurse when she and her siblings were in high school, and she and her father, an engineer with the Air Force, graduated from college the same year.

“Education can open doors you never knew existed and put you in touch with people who have vision, courage and strength,” said Diggs. “The gift of education can motivate you to work towards your goals and not give up, even when it’s hard to continue.”

“I love to see young people learn, grow and become leaders. I saw Lindsay as a shining example of this and we are so honored to make this gift to CCBC. We hope this gift will help change many lives for the better, both for the students and for the people they serve.” —James Siegel

Diggs and Siegel live in Ellicott City, Md. Diggs earned her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma University, a master’s degree from the George Washington University and completed her Ph.D. courses at Johns Hopkins University. Siegel began his college education at community college and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, as well as an MBA. The couple enjoys, traveling, cooking and being with family and friends.

The Lindsay Ruland Black-eyed Susan Histotechnology Scholarship was awarded for the first time in fall 2022 to a full-time CCBC student in good academic standing who demonstrated a strong commitment to service like Ruland.