Tammy Bickett Hot Shot Memorial Scholarship

TAMI BICKETT HOT SHOT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in July, 1994 by the family and friends of Tami Bickett and the Lebanon Professional Firefighters.  Tami was 25 years old and in her sixth year as a Hot Shot crew member.

On the morning of July 6, 1994, Tami and other firefighters were transported by helicopter to a location near the summit of Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  Their objective was to contain the fire burning on the mountain.  Later that afternoon, unpredictable winds suddenly caused the 50-acre fire to explode to 2,000 acres in a matter of minutes.  In those few precious minutes, Tami Bickett and 13 other Hot shots, Smoke Jumpers, and Heli-tack firefighters perished while trying to escape.

In recognition of the ultimate sacrifice made by Tami Bickett and the 13 other firefighters, this scholarship is awarded to aid students who are pursuing a fire science, emergency medical service, nursing (R.N.), medical, or other allied health degree.

ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must:

Be a U.S. Citizen.
Be a graduate of a U.S. High School and currently reside the U.S. or attend an eligible institution located in the U.S.
Be a full-time student at an eligible institution.
Have completed at least one year of studies toward a degree in one of the following:  Fire science, emergency medical service, nursing (R.N.), medical (M.D.), or other allied health program.
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 during the previous year of study toward that degree.
Not have any criminal record.

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS

Eligible institutions include any 2 or 4 year public or private, non-profit or for-profit post-secondary institution.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Students may apply by completing the attached application form.  Applicants should, if possible, submit their SAT scores and complete high school transcripts that list grade point average.  Applicants must also include college transcripts from the first year of the degree program.  This must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the appropriate department head for that particular program.

Please return the application with a self-addressed stamped envelope.  All materials related to the application must be received by July 6th of each year.

SELECTION

The selection committee will rank all eligible applicants based on a combination of academic promise (as determined by high school and college grade point average and SAT scores) and their answers to the essay questions on the application.  The selection committee may also consider the applicant’s involvement in school, community, work activities, and geographic desirability (Oregon students and/or residents will be considered for this scholarship before out of state students and/or residents).

AMOUNT OF AWARD

The amount of the annual award shall be determined by the committee and based upon the earnings of the fund and changes in educational costs.  The committee will award at least one $500.00 scholarship annually.

AWARD NOTIFICATION

The committee shall send the recipient a notice of award which will also specify the terms.  The recipient shall sign and return one copy of the notice, acknowledge the terms and certify that the funds will be used for educational expenses only.

DISBURSEMENT

Upon receiving the signed copy of the award notice and verifying that the student is registered as a full-time student (as determined by the institution), the committee will establish an account at the Registrar’s Office at the recipient’s school in the amount of the scholarship.