On Friday, October 26, 2012, 15 Tillman Military Scholars (TMS) converged in my hometown of Flint, Michigan to build group unity, network and perform community service. Flint is not the ideal community you think of when people discuss regional gatherings of any kind. It has received a gauntlet of negative media because of its violent crime, depressed economy, high unemployment rate and an even higher rate of poverty. However, Flint is slowly on the rebound and I was happy to be able to share its revitalization with my fellow TMS. We took them to one new local hangout in the redeveloped downtown area and spent some time on campus at the University of Michigan-Flint. If Flint were the “city on a hill”, the University of Michigan-Flint would definitely be the shining jewel at the hilltop. UM-Flint has experienced significant growth during and what many called have called ‘the hardest economic times Flint has ever had to endure’.  Chancellor Ruth Person and the University of Michigan-Flint are dedicated to providing the very best support to student Veterans.

Tillman Military Scholars met with UM-Flint Chancellor Ruth Person at last month's Regional Gathering on the campus.

On Saturday, we performed community service at Carriage Town Ministries (CTM), a local community service agency that has been providing free food, shelter and clothing to individuals and families in need since 1950. Words can’t express the level gratitude I have for my fellow TMS who took time out of their busy lives to come to my city and serve my community members who need it most. On the surface it would appear that the group of TMS had no solid connection to those they were helping; only a couple of us had historical ties to the Flint community. Yet as I sat in the van as we pulled away from the parking lot of CTM, it struck me that this service opportunity was about more than physical community connections.

Tillman Military Scholars performed a community service project at Carriage Town Ministries in Flint, MI.

It was about strengthening the human spirit of a community who would walk into CTM the next day for services. The actions of the TMS were an honest reflection of their integrity and selflessness. It spoke volumes of the impact that military servicemembers stand to make beyond their military service requirements. It is at THAT moment, riding away in that van, that I felt we collectively embodied the legacy of Pat Tillman and I was most proud to be a Tillman Military Scholar and a part of this unique community.

Last weekend, a dozen Tillman Military Scholars met in Eugene, Oregon, on the campus of the University of Oregon for the Tillman Military Scholars Northwest Regional Gathering. The cool wet climate of the Pacific Northwest provided a change of pace for Scholars traveling from as far away as Texas and Arizona. In between workshops covering team building, leadership, career decisions and effective communication, Scholars worked hard to spruce up a low income housing complex, toured the first-class Oregon Duck athletic facilities, and spent time building the Tillman Community network.

Tillman Military Scholars take part in leadership training and team building activities at the University of Oregon.

To kick off the weekend, we met on Friday night for dinner in the atrium of the John Jaqua Academic Center and were introduced to leadership expert Bill Grace, who provided an illuminating experience as he helped us look within ourselves to find our core values – a theme that would continue throughout the weekend. Saturday morning we met for an incredible team building workshop with Nancy Heapes. Group juggling, flipping a parachute and placing a ball in a bucket seem like simple enough tasks; however, they proved difficult for a group of leaders. Some of us found our voice while others found our “mute button.” We all found friends and all of us left for lunch hungry. After dinning on Sy’s world famous pizza, we met with Bill Grace for a second time. Bill is an amazing speaker. It is impossible for me to accurately depict the intensity of our discussions. But, by the end of the afternoon we were all contemplating how we can use our core values in order to work towards the “common good.”

Later Saturday afternoon we had the opportunity to tour the un-paralleled Duck athletic facilities. Walking down the tunnel that my Ducks traverse prior to each game was, I hope, as exciting for everyone else as it was for me! However, the training tables covered in Maserati leather, the underwater treadmills and the 117,000 square-foot indoor football field all took a back seat to the 2012 Pac-12 and Rose Bowl trophies!

Tillman Military Scholars stop for a photo on the 50-yard line of Autzen Stadium during a tour the University of Oregon athletic facilities.

Sunday morning Scholars attended workshops on career development and effective communication. In the afternoon the Tillman Military Scholars teamed with approximately 25 volunteers from the UO Law School’s Public Interest Public Service program (PIPS) to serve a low-income housing complex operated by St. Vincent de Paul. Scholars and PIPS volunteers painted a community room and laundry facility, removed weeds and laid bark-mulch in playground areas and around buildings. They also began preparations for a raised community garden to be used in the near future by residents of the complex.

Tillman Military Scholars lead a service effort at St. Vincent de Paul's veterans housing.

Scholars ended the weekend with a tour of the Rogue Brewery in downtown Eugene. Dinner provided one last opportunity for Scholars to swap stories and build relationships. The weekend gathering was filled with fun engaging activities that provided, at least for me, plenty of life-defining moments. I can only hope to be a part of another Regional Gathering soon!

This past weekend I attended the Pat Tillman Foundation’s first ever Tillman Military Scholar Regional Gathering held in breezy and bright Tampa, Florida. In all, 10 of my fellow Tillman Military Scholars joined me at this more intimate gathering which began on Friday evening with an inspirational discussion with Marie Tillman and three of my peers. At the height of the weekend, we spent an afternoon working on a service project at the local VA hospital.

Tillman Military Scholars at the James A. Haley VA Nursing Home where they beautified "Haley's Cove."

Our hosts, the veterans of the University of South Florida, made a positive impression on all of the Scholars and I am sure some of their stories will be retold alongside our own within our community for some time. I enjoyed the opportunity to act as a Tillman Community ambassador of sorts, encouraging these veterans to apply in February.

Some Scholars I had met previously at the Pat Tillman Legacy Summit in July and some were brand new to me; regardless, we were all fast friends sitting together in the end-zone while the Buccaneers chewed up the Saints’ backfield on our last evening in Tampa. Why were we all together? The Kurdish poet, Kahlil Gibran, once said, “you give but little when you give your possessions. It is when you give yourself that you truly give.”

Tillman Military Scholars enjoy the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

I really don’t know how it happens, if it is organic, or engineered, or both, but the sense of companionship and purpose that I find between myself and other Scholars is almost tangible. This weekend seemed just as much an idea incubator as it did a leadership and team building event. Interspersed between laughing myself to tears while suspended 40 feet in the air at the ropes course, being a fulcrum stabilizer on the balance challenge and learning some of the ingredients to effective face-to-face networking, I found myself working through problems with other Scholars as we all endeavor to serve. If we look to Gibran’s take on giving, the Scholars present this weekend, are the wealthiest givers that I know; they are giving themselves to service and I am proud to be in their number.