Sterling Fire Lt. Garrett Ramos wanted to give back to his community and he wanted his department to be active in the community.

A scholarship that he envisioned to give back and involve the department where he spent almost a decade now honors his memory.

“My hope is that each time we give this out, remember what is truly important in life, the relationships we have with others and to cherish any time we get with those we love,” Ramos’s widow, Brittney Ramos, said at the June 1 Sterling City Council meeting.

Garrett Ramos, a lieutenant with the Sterling Fire Department, died Dec. 4, 2021, while fighting a residential house fire in rural Rock Falls. He was posthumously promoted to captain. His survivors include his widow, Brittney, and two daughters, Ruthie and Kepa.

Brittney Ramos said the idea for the scholarship was Garrett’s.

“Garrett actually created this scholarship before he passed. He wanted the fire department to be active in the community and give back. I can remember sitting on our living room couch, creating the application and coming up with the questions to ask. We wanted them to be interesting and not the typical scholarship questions,” she said.

Brittney Ramos and Sterling Fire Lt. Vincent Morris, representing IAFF Local 2301, were on hand, along with several members of the Sterling Fire Department and their families as the two 2026 recipients of the Garrett Ramos Scholarship were honored.

Sterling High School graduates Macie Lofgren and Olivia Moreno each received a $2,000 scholarship.

“These young ladies exemplify what it means to be a person who is kind, caring and giving of their time,” Brittney Ramos said.

Ramos said she served briefly as Moreno’s high school counselor and she talked with Lofgren’s teachers and coaches, who all spoke of her kindness to others.

“It’s a good reminder that how we treat others matters. We never know what someone is going through and how much your kindness can make a difference,” Ramos said.

Lofgren and Moreno received an additional surprise when Ramos revealed that their scholarships were for $2,000, not the original $1,000.

“This year, it’s exciting because we were able to increase the reward amount due to the union. The scholarship states that it is only for $1,000 but the union started a golf outing in memory of Garrett so that is why we are able to increase it,” Ramos said.

The 2026 Sterling Firefighters Local 2301 Garrett Ramos Golf Scramble will be Aug. 21 at Deer Grove Golf Club in Deer Grove.

Lofgren said she will be attending Sauk Valley Community College to play basketball and major in nursing, with plans to become a nurse practitioner.

Moreno plans to attend Arizona State University and major in psychology with plans to become a chiropractor.