Family of Oklahoma native who died in DC plane crash sets up scholarship fund in her honor

By Jason Burger

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    OKLAHOMA (KOCO) — An Oklahoma native, who was one of 67 people killed when a helicopter crashed into an American Airlines plane in Washington, D.C., will be remembered by future generations thanks to a scholarship.

Lindsey Fields’ family said they want her to be remembered for what she did in life and not how she died.

“She was a spectacular friend and mother and wife” Amy Costner-Lark, Lindsey’s cousin, said. “Her pride and joy was her child.”

At home, she was a mother. But in the classroom at Butler Community College in Kansas, she was one of the best biology professors her students ever had, and she knew science like the back of her hand.

“Lindsey was a self-proclaimed science nerd, so I’m wearing my pin that says, ‘Yay science’ in honor of her,” Costner-Lark said.

But it wasn’t all about biology.

“She knew her students. She knew all their internal struggles, and what they were facing, and that’s why this scholarship is so important to our family,” Costner-Lark said.

Lindsey was raised in Forgan, a small town in the Oklahoma Panhandle. She attended college at Oklahoma State University.

Lindsey’s family has set up a GoFundMe account, and the money raised will be used for annual scholarships for students who want a career in a science field. The plan is to make those scholarships available at Butler Community and Oklahoma State University.

“We find that it’s a way for us to give back, and for the family to give back to other students that are interested in going into a science field of study,” Costner-Lark said.

Costner-Lark said that about 25 of their relatives have been in the education field at some point, and Lindsey’s father was a biology teacher himself.

While a big part of her legacy is within the classroom walls, it doesn’t stop there. She was the definition of a true friend.

“When we were looking back through her Facebook page, we found a picture of her with a picture that said, ‘professional bridesmaid,’ and she had been in like eight weddings the past few years,” Costner-Lark said.

The funds raised will help establish that scholarship and help it continue for years to come.

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