3 Sterling High School students receive scholarship given in name of fallen firefighter

STERLING – Three local high school students were named recipients of a scholarship honoring a Sterling firefighter who lost his life on the job almost four years ago.

Sterling High School students Nico Battaglia, Brinley Francis and Esra Ramirez were named the recipients of the 2025 Garrett Ramos Scholarship during Monday’s Sterling City Council meeting. Ramirez was not present for the meeting.

Ramos, a SHS graduate, served for almost 10 years with the Sterling Fire Department and also served as the union president for Local 2301. Ramos died in the line of duty Dec. 4, 2021, after falling through the floor of a burning home in rural Rock Falls.

Sterling Fire Lt. Vincent Morris and Ramos’ wife, Brittney, presented Battaglia and Francis with a commemorative check for $1,000 each.

Brittney said the scholarship, which typically opens in April, is available to SHS seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Preference is given to candidates considering a career in public service.

“And then the two questions that we ask them are, ‘How has a public servant affected your life in a positive manner?’ and ‘What do you currently do to improve your local community?’” Brittney said.

Battaglia will attend Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he plans to play basketball and study psychology.

“I hope to be either a counselor or work in forensics and help people,” Battaglia said. “I go to a psychologist, and she helps me out, so I know how that makes me feel. I think I can make other people feel the same way and help them.”

Francis will attend Dixon’s Sauk Valley Community College, where she plans to study nursing.

“I want to do something with babies, and be a NICU nurse or something,” Francis said. “I did a lot of clinicals this year, so I got to work with a lot of people, and it was nice to be able to help people.”

The Associated Firefighters of Sterling Local 2301 will host the first Garrett Ramos Scramble golf outing Wednesday, Aug. 27, at the Deer Valley Golf Club, 3298 Hoover Road in Deer Grove. Registration opens at 9 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 10 a.m.

The cost of entry is $240 per four-person team and includes a golf cart and dinner. The event also will include a silent auction, raffles and prizes. Sponsor packages are available for companies and organizations that would like to sponsor a hole. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Garrett Ramos Scholarship program.

For more information on the event, contact Local 2301 through its Facebook page.