��������

Some legacies live in memories. Others become part of the people and places they touched. 

At ��������, Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah’s (’07) legacy will stand seven feet tall in granite, adorn the side of Rollins Hall, be worn across the jerseys of Monarch football players and echo through S.B. Ballard Stadium with the firing of the “Big Blue” howitzer cannon. 

On September 4, hundreds gathered near S.B. Ballard Stadium as �������� unveiled a series of permanent tributes honoring Lt. Col. Shah, a Monarch alumnus who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in military science and whose life was marked by leadership, service and commitment to others. 

The ceremony also marked the formal announcement of the LTC Brandon A. Shah Leadership Foundation, created by his wife, Katherine Shah, to carry forward her husband’s legacy by developing future leaders. 

“Lt. Col. Shah’s impact was never measured simply by his title or rank,” said Cathy Lewis, the University’s community engagement liaison, as she opened the ceremony. “It was reflected in the lives he touched, the cadets he mentored, the colleagues he inspired, the family he loved deeply and the Monarch community he treasured.” 

A Legacy of Putting Others First 

The first tribute to Lt. Col. Shah was, fittingly, a tribute to someone else. 

Before his death, Lt. Col. Shah had begun working to recognize Linda Baker, a 45-year employee who spent decades supporting the University’s Army ROTC program and became known to generations of cadets as “Ms. B.” 

The University completed what Lt. Col. Shah had started with the unveiling of a granite bench dedicated to Ms. B. The bench sits outside Rollins Hall beneath a crape myrtle tree, offering a quiet place for students, faculty and staff to gather and reflect. 

A few feet away, a second bench honors Army ROTC Monarch Battalion MS4 Cadet Class of 2026, and the courage its members demonstrated, alongside Lt. Col. Shah, on March 12. Earlier this year, nine cadets received Meritorious Service Medals, and two received Purple Hearts for their actions that day. 

For Cadet Cecilia Fosso, former Battalion Commander, the tribute reflects something she learned personally from Lt. Col. Shah. A leader’s influence can extend far beyond the time spent together. 

“I only had two years with him, but I learned that impact isn’t necessarily measured by time,” Cadet Fosso said. “Instead, it’s measured by what remains after that time has gone.” 

For Cadet Fosso, the memorials offer the rest of the campus community and beyond an opportunity to know Lt. Col. Shah as his cadets did. She hopes it will encourage them to lead, be brave and inspire those around them. 

A Legacy of Service 

Between the two benches, a seven-foot memorial stands in solid granite. 

Its fractured top represents a life left unfinished before transitioning into the shape of Virginia. An engraved crown marks Norfolk and the campus, acknowledging Lt. Col. Shah’s deep connection to the community, while a bronze U.S. Army seal at eye level honors his military service and the continued service of Monarch Battalion cadets. 

The ceremony’s next reveal came as a curtain dropped from the Army ROTC Annex of Rollins Hall, unveiling a new name stretching across the building: Lieutenant Colonel Brandon A. Shah Wing. 

The designation places Lt. Col. Shah’s name permanently on the home of the Monarch Battalion, where generations of cadets have and will continue to train, learn and prepare to lead. 

“May the Lieutenant Colonel Brandon A. Shah Wing, this reflection area, and this monument stand forever as a testament to a life of extraordinary service, leadership and love,” Lewis said. “Shah Strong. Forever Monarch Strong.” 

A Legacy That Lives On 

The ceremony then turned to Katherine Shah, whose determination to preserve her husband’s legacy and values have transformed remembrance into action. 

President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., presented Katherine Shah with the University’s Presidential Medallion for Public Service, an honor established in 2023 to recognize individuals whose service has made a significant impact on �������� and the surrounding community. She is the second person to receive the distinction. 

For Katherine Shah, the moment brought together emotions that were difficult to separate. 

“I’m proud, I’m grateful, I’m humbled, I’m happy and yes, I’m sad because of the one person I wish was standing here,” she said. 

But the ceremony was not only about preserving the past. Katherine Shah also used the occasion to announce how her husband’s impact will be carried into the future. 

She introduced the LTC Brandon A. Shah Leadership Foundation, an organization dedicated to investing in the next generation of leaders. 

“This foundation ensures Brandon’s legacy carries forward beyond the tragedy,” Katherine Shah said. 

The LTC Brandon A. Shah Leadership Foundation will provide scholarships and financial assistance to ROTC and JROTC students who exemplify high standards of leadership and service; create leadership development opportunities for young people; and provide resources, equipment and educational experiences for ROTC and JROTC programs. 

Its mission also extends beyond the classroom and training field. The LTC Brandon A. Shah Leadership Foundation will actively address practical barriers to student success by investing in the “whole person,” support Gold Star spouses and families as they navigate life after the loss of a loved one, help create safer and more prepared communities and preserve his story for future generations. 

For Katherine Shah and the couple’s 10-year-old son, Lucas, carrying that legacy forward does not mean trying to recreate the man they lost. She regularly reminds Lucas that “the best parts of daddy live inside you every single day.” 

Lucas recently offered his mother his own perspective as she worked to honor his father. Their standards could reflect Brandon Shah’s without simply replicating them. 

“We aren’t meant to become Brandon,” Katherine Shah said. “Instead, we should take the greatest parts of what he gave us and create something new.” 

A Legacy Worn With Pride 

Lt. Col. Shah’s legacy also took the field the following day. 

The final tribute brought the ceremony into S.B. Ballard Stadium where commemorative football jerseys were presented to Katherine and Lucas Shah. The blue camouflage jerseys featured “LTC SHAH” across the back in place of individual players’ names, while the helmets featured Apache helicopters, which Lt. Col. Shah piloted during his military career. The Monarchs wore the uniforms Sept. 5 when hosting Norfolk State University in its home opener. 

The corner beneath the scoreboard, where the “Big Blue” cannon fires during football games, was officially unveiled as Shah’s Corner. 

As the new designation was revealed, fireworks burst overhead, and the cannon fired in Lt. Col. Shah’s honor. 

“From this day forward, every time the cannon fires, every time this crowd roars and every time the Monarchs take the field, Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah’s spirit leads the way regardless of the obstacle,” Lewis said. 

Lt. Col. Shah’s name is now permanently woven into the fabric of �������� — in granite, bronze, brick and tradition. 

But his legacy extends beyond the tributes that now bear his name. 

It lives in the cadets he challenged to become better leaders, the traditions he helped shape and a foundation created to invest in generations of leaders still to come.