04/03/14
When asked to describe her son, Shane, in a few words, Patricia Gottschalk didn't even hesitate -- "outgoing, strong, hard-working, warm-hearted" were just a few of the words that she came up with.

It was almost three years ago when the Gottschalk family received heart-breaking news that Shane, the 20-year-old son of Patricia and Gregg Gottschalk, had been diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Shane passed away not too long after that, leaving those he touched not to grieve, but to celebrate the great man that he had become.

"We, as a family, were very close. His sister, father and I miss his company and advice. We miss his great bear hugs, quick wit and smile that could brighten a room," Patricia said.

Now his parents, with the help and support of Shane's fiancée, Macy Ziegler, have established the Shane Gottschalk ShaneSTRONG Memorial Scholarship with the Fort Hays State University Foundation.

"I miss everything about Shane. He was lovable, passionate, driven, brave, intelligent," Ziegler said. "He had so much love to give and always had people's best interest at heart."

The scholarship fund will aid a junior or senior student majoring in athletic training, with preference given to students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The ShaneSTRONG Memorial Scholarship celebrates not only the memory of Shane, an inspiring young man, but also students who are hard-working and give 110 percent of their energy, just like he did.

"Shane would think this is an awesome way to remember him and to help other students with dreams like the ones he had," Patricia said. "We hope to aid others in developing leadership roles in memory of Shane's own leadership."

To support the Shane Gottschalk ShaneSTRONG Memorial Scholarship, please visit https://secure.fhsu.edu/foundation/ and type "ShaneSTRONG Memorial Scholarship" as your area of designation.