Andrew J. Shields Memorial Scholarship

Jon and Carol Shields established this scholarship in memory of their son, Andrew Jon Shields. Andrew was an Airborne Combat Medic dedicated to the health, safety and welfare of his fellow warriors. Andrew was born on September 8th, 1988 and spent most of his life in the Vancouver, WA area. Andrew graduated from Battle Ground HS in 2007, where he played football and was the Fire District 11 Fire Cadet Chief. Andrew enjoyed his friends, family, competitively shooting, hunting, fishing, and muddin'.

Andrew chose to serve his country and joined the Army in 2007 while still in High School; he never wavered from his sense of duty. After graduating Basic Combat Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, Andrew attended the Combat Medic Course at Ft. Sam Houston and then Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA. On May 31st, 2008, while serving with the 173rd Special Troop Battalion [Airborne] in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Andrew was killed in action.

For every person there comes that moment when they are tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted for their talents; in service to his country, Andrew found himself qualified and prepared for that moment, which would be his finest days. We do not choose our death; we choose how we live our life. For Andrew, he chose a life of service, honor, and compassion in service to others.

REQUIREMENTS

The student selected to receive the scholarship award must:

A) Be a graduating senior from a high school in Clark, Cowlitz, or Skamania counties.

B) Have been enrolled in any accredited Fire Cadet program in Southwest Washington during high school.

C) Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0.

D) Continue their education at an accredited college, university, career or technical school during the upcoming school year. Students who enlist in the U.S. military and provide proof of their deployment date may have their scholarship award deferred for up to four years.