Scholarship Awarded in Memory of UC Santa Barbara Student Who Di - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

Scholarship Awarded in Memory of UC Santa Barbara Student Who Died in 2010 Shark Attack

SANTA BARBARA, Calif- As a way to honor a student who wanted to change lives, but whose own life was tragically cut short, UC Santa Barbara has awarded the inaugural Lucas Ransom Memorial Scholarship. Ransom was just 19-years-old when he was fatally injured by a shark while body-boarding at in northern Santa Barbara County.  

Two students will each receive $4,000 in tuition assistance from a fund established by the Ransom family as a tribute to their son. According to his Mother, with Lucas's study in pharmacology, and his passion for helping others, the scholarship fund seemed like the perfect way to honor her son.

The first two recipients are James G. Stanfill, a chemistry major from Oxnard, and John Adlin Scott, a chemistry major from Redding. Both Stanfill and Scott received their award Friday, the day before Ransom would have graduated.

"This is so meaningful and poignant, because Lucas would have been graduating, but, also, this is a celebration," mother Candace Ransom said. "The dream that Lucas had to help others is in the hearts and minds of these students, and they will have the opportunity to continue on where Lucas didn't get to. I feel so proud and honored to see this scholarship finally come through. I just know that each of these students has so much to offer, and they are such inspirational people. They have a lot of gifts and talents, and we hope they will go out and make a big difference in other people's lives."

Scott, whose undergraduate research has included work on a project to improve MRI technology, plans on going to graduate school and become a teacher. Stanfill hope to graduate school and pursue pharmaceutical research.