When Robin Parham Park passed away from breast cancer in 2004, she could have never imagined that her family would work tirelessly to honor her memory by helping an upcoming young woman attend college.

But they did, in choosing to establish the Robin Parham Park Memorial Scholarship, and this year’s recipient was Shelby Strong of Andalusia High School.

Strong, the daughter of William and Cindee Strong, plans to pursue a degree in the medical field and will attend LBW Community College in August.

“For our mother, getting an education for young women was a must,” said Jamie Park. “That is why she would have supported the idea of a scholarship recognizing an outstanding young woman.”

The Parham-Park families look at academics, leadership and involvement in school activities and volunteer efforts when choosing a winner.

Strong’s achievements include being named the senior class president, SGA member, Usher Club and Fellowship of Christian Students president, Memolusia photo editor, band member and numerous volunteer efforts.

She is the sixth recipient of the $1,000 scholarship, and winners include a Vanderbilt University graduate now a law student at Boston University, a recent Mortar Board inductee at Auburn who has also studied at Harvard, a Troy University physical therapy student working on an advanced degree, a Junior Miss winner now a student at Huntingdon, a pre-pharmacy major now at AUM and a University of Alabama student.

Park was the daughter of John and Sharon Parham and the sister of Kimberly Parham Payne of St. Louis and Whitney Parham Olson of Ft. Lauderdale. She was the wife of Mike Park, and mother to Jamie, Lauren and Jessica.