From Vision to Impact: The History of the Cockcroft Fellowship

Amy V. Cockcroft saw the future—and knew nurses would lead it. In the early 1990s, as health care faced major disruption, Amy recognized that nurses needed stronger leadership training to meet growing demands. She knew leadership wasn’t optional—it was essential.

She rallied nurse leaders at the University of South Carolina to build something bold: a fellowship to prepare nurses to lead with impact—then, now, and for decades to come.

That vision became the Amy V. Cockcroft Leadership Fellowship—a yearlong, five-session program combining workshops, self-assessments, leadership projects and expert mentorship.

Launched in 1995 with 12 fellows, the program has now trained over 300 nurse leaders nationwide—many serving in top executive roles, public office, academia, and policy. Their influence is reshaping health care across the U.S.—just as Amy envisioned.

Her legacy lives on through each leader shaped by the fellowship—and those they go on to inspire.