Vashon “J.J.” Jefferson Memorial Scholarship

With profound sadness, Shenandoah University mourns the loss of Vashon “J.J.” Jefferson, who passed away on February 1, 2022, as a result of the tragic shooting at Bridgewater College.

J.J. Jefferson worked in the Department of Public Safety at Shenandoah from 2012 to 2018, and was promoted to sergeant in 2013. J.J. received a Wilkins Award from SU in 2017 in recognition of his initiatives to re-envision campus safety as focusing on student and community relationships. He was known for walking every inch of main campus throughout the evenings, meeting students and getting to know them well. J.J. had a commanding presence, a warm smile, and a laugh that would echo down the hallways. He would never just secure a building in the evening; instead, he would greet each person he encountered with genuine care and interest while securing buildings — and whenever he had a free moment, he would stop by SU games or rehearsals to cheer on our students. J.J.’s connection to SU was further strengthened when he married Shenandoah alumna Shannon Oates ’13 in 2021.

The Vashon “J.J.” Jefferson Memorial Scholarship is established in his memory and will benefit students studying Criminal Justice at Shenandoah University.