Battle Ground High School athlete receives third annual Tyler Mode scholarship for $1,000

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Battle Ground High School football player Owen Wann has been selected as the recipient of the third annual Tyler Mode scholarship.

Mode, a well-known photographer in Battle Ground, chose Wann because of his exceptional abilities on the field and his overall positive attitude. 

“Just from the football team awards, (Wann) seems like an outstanding guy,” Mode said. “He tries to do what he can to lift the team up and is a good player and a good person, and I think that’s the bigger reason I pick most people is because they’re good to others.”

Mode said Wann has been on the football team for all four years of his high school career. While that’s not a requirement for the scholarship, it helps during the selection process. 

Mode said Wann is personable, which is another quality he looks for when choosing a scholarship recipient. Wann often also shares the pictures Mode takes in a show of support for Mode’s work.  

“(Wann is) just a good guy,” Mode said. “He’s always laughing, he’s always having fun with others. … He’s a perfect recipient for the scholarship.” 

The $1,000 scholarship is not earmarked for higher education, but instead focuses on paying for travel costs. 

“Even for kids that don’t go to college, they can use it for a trip they’ve never been able to go on or want to go on,” Mode said. “They can use it for that because I think experiences are one of the most important things for people.”

Jason Johnson, the first recipient of the scholarship, originally planned to use the money to go to Italy, but instead decided to visit his sister in Las Vegas because of the pandemic. The second recipient, Colt Stepard, used the scholarship to go on a fishing trip, Mode said.



Wann plans to use the scholarship money for a 10-day trip to Wyoming with his mother, father and two brothers. 

Wann said his family plans to attend a rodeo and wants to do some fishing while they are there. 

The Wanns have family friends who have a ranch they will stay at, he said. 

“I’m actually really excited, just counting down the days,” Wann said. 

Wann said he developed a passion for football when he started playing the sport in third grade. While he’s played every position, Wann has mostly focused his efforts on being a running back and a linebacker. He plans to attend Eastern Oregon University to pursue a major in fire services and administration, along with a minor in business. Wann will continue to play football at the university. 

“(The scholarship is) definitely really cool, especially coming from Tyler, someone I’ve known throughout high school,” Wann said. “(Mode) did my senior pictures and he’s taken pictures of me all throughout high school. It was definitely cool receiving it from somebody I’ve known for a while.”