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Ahead of Memorial Day, Pat Tillman Foundation Announces Fifth Class of Tillman Military Scholars

More than $1 Million Awarded to 60 Student Veterans and Military Spouses Committed to Pat’s Legacy of Leadership and Service

Tempe, AZ (May 22, 2013) – After an extensive selection process, the Pat Tillman Foundation is proud to welcome the fifth class of Tillman Military Scholars to the Tillman Community this Memorial Day. Through the Tillman Military Scholars program, 60 military veterans and spouses representing 41 academic institutions will be awarded nearly $1.4 million in scholarship support in recognition of their service, leadership and academic excellence. To commemorate Memorial Day, the fifth class of Tillman Military Scholars will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, May 24th.

“We’re proud to award educational scholarships to enrich the lives of our nation’s military veterans and their spouses. The Tillman Military Scholars program plays a vital role in transitioning veterans into civilian life by fueling their potential as leaders and game changers when they return home,” said Marie Tillman, president and co-founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation. “During his life, Pat refused to standby on the sidelines as an athlete and a soldier, and each Tillman Military Scholar embodies the principles of service, learning and action that he lived by everyday. These men and women are the determined few who stepped forward to lead when duty called. Through their studies in medicine, foreign affairs, urban planning and more, they are building on Pat’s legacy of leadership and creating their own to impact and inspire our country for years to come.”

In 2008, the Pat Tillman Foundation established the Tillman Military Scholars program to support educational opportunities for service members and military families by bridging the financial gaps left by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Military families face numerous challenges during the transition from military to civilian life and have unique needs that often prevent successfully completing a degree. Tillman Military Scholars receive financial support to not only cover traditional study-related expenses such as tuition and books, but also other needs, including but not limited to housing, transportation and childcare. In providing this support, the Pat Tillman Foundation aims to remove obstacles that would otherwise prohibit academic and career success.

The Tillman Military Scholarship is not a gift; it is an investment in excellence and potential. Over the past five years, the Pat Tillman Foundation has awarded nearly $4.1 million in scholarship funds to 290 Tillman Military Scholars pursuing education at every level from freshmen undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates. Overall, Tillman Military Scholars represent 90 different academic institutions nationwide.

Second Lieutenant Sean Inkelaar-Cruz, who is pursuing a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Southern California, is one of the members of the 5^th Class of Tillman Military Scholars. After deploying to Iraq with the 101^st Airborne, Inkelaar-Cruz left a 10-year career as a Non-Commissioned Officer to pursue higher education and commission as an officer in the California Army National Guard. A Los Angeles native, he intends to leverage his military training and studies in urban planning to redesign metropolitan transportation systems, so veterans and wounded warriors have greater access to education, jobs, health care and recreation.

“It is a tremendous honor to carry Pat Tillman’s name and even more a responsibility to live up to his legacy, values and work ethic. As a Tillman Military Scholar, I strive to be a visible, positive influence for my community and especially, for fellow veterans, service members and military families,” said Inkelaar-Cruz. “I am not blessed with the physical talents that Pat was, but we share the common principles of leading when called to duty, volunteering for missions that others would walk away from, striving to better humanity one day at a time, and making a significant difference with our lives while we can.”

Meet the Class of 2013

An interactive map that demonstrates the national reach of the Tillman Military Scholars program is featured online where Tillman supporters can track the academic goals, progress and achievements of our Scholars and University Partners. For the full list of military veterans and spouses named to the fifth class of Tillman Military Scholars, as well as their schools and intended areas of study, click here.

Pat Tillman Leadership Summit

This July, the Pat Tillman Foundation will host the Fourth Annual Pat Tillman Leadership Summit to unite current Tillman Military Scholars, alumni, partner organizations, and leaders throughout the military and veteran’s community. The Summit will convene at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago from July 11-14, 2013 where scholars will participate in a leadership forum, professional development workshops and community service projects.

If you are a member of the media who wishes to arrange an interview with Pat Tillman Foundation President and Co-Founder Marie Tillman or one of our new Tillman Military Scholars, please contact Michelle McCarthy at (201) 675-1063 or mmccarthy@pattillmanfoundation.org.

About the Pat Tillman Foundation

Family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation following Pat’s death in 2004 while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. Created to honor Pat’s legacy and pay tribute to his commitment to leadership and service, the Pat Tillman Foundation is a national leader in providing educational support and resources to veterans, active-duty service members and their spouses. Inspired by Pat’s attributes of leadership, passion for education and spirit of service, the Foundation annually awards educational scholarships through the Tillman Military Scholars program. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than $9 million in educational support has been invested in individuals committed to a life of service both in an out of uniform, including nearly $4.1 million awarded to 290 Tillman Military Scholars nationwide. For more information, visit: www.pattillmanfoundation.org.

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As an amateur runner, I love races. I save all my race bibs and I write my time on the back of them. I have run 13 races, large and small, and each one has been special to me. Running is the most democratic of all sports; there is virtually no financial barrier for participation, there is little equipment and no special venue is needed. Weekend Warriors race alongside elite runners. Anyone can run, and anyone can watch. There are no ticket fees, no limits on spectators, and the runners race through the public space of a city.

This past weekend, I ran the one race that I have been looking forward to all year: Pat’s Run. I ran Pat’s Run for the first time last year after being selected as a Tillman Military Scholar. For me, this race is special because it has grown from a small run organized by Marie Tillman in Tempe, Arizona to a massive undertaking by the entire city of Phoenix. Pat’s Run embodies so many things: community, sacrifice, 10 years of war, loss, heroism, veterans, scholars, and courage.

Courage could be defined today as not knowing what evil lies on the other side of a decision, yet deciding to go anyway. When the Twin Towers fell on 9/11, Pat Tillman made a courageous decision. He placed one foot in front of the other and did not look back. He bravely left behind an exciting football career in Arizona, that was both comfortable and profitable, for a very different life as a U.S. Army Ranger. In his own words: “It doesn’t do me any good to be proud. It’s better to just force myself to be naïve about things, because otherwise I’ll start being happy with myself, and then I’ll stand still, and then I’m old news.” When Pat made his courageous decision, he became part of the 1 percent of Americans who serve our nation in uniform. Pat ultimately lost his life in the mountains of Afghanistan, placing him among the honored few who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom.

On April 15th, when the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon became a war zone, our nation was instantly propelled back to the emotions of 9/11. But this time there was one notable difference. After a decade of war, there are now thousands of veterans who live in our local communities. They live among us, they are organized, they are motivated to serve, they are young and smart, and they have not allowed themselves to be isolated.

On April 15th, several of these men and women – the one percent-  where on the ground at the Boston Marathon. Among them was First Lieutenant Steve Fiola, a Massachusetts native. Fiola had participated in the Boston Marathon three times, each time rucking it. This year, he organized a team of soldiers to ruck the Marathon as Team “Tough Ruck.” Fiola’s team had just finished the 26.2 mile Ruck, and they were sitting exhausted near the finish line when they heard the blast on Boylston Street. These one percenters, like Pat Tillman, understand courage. Without knowing what evil stood ahead, they quickly jumped into action. They did not run to safety, they ran toward danger and they rendered aid to the fallen. As the Officer in Charge, Fiola immediately organized his exhausted team and jumped into action. He and his fellow soldier, 1SG Bernard Madore ripped down a fence that was separating the wounded from medical personnel and transport. Madore assisted children and helped with tourniquets, while Fiola rendered aid to a man on fire, with a badly burned face.

After tragic events like Boston, often all people can do is just do – placing one foot in front of the other, doing, creating, participating, working and running. This action, big or small, is important. It begins the exponential cycle of others acting and doing in service to others. In the end, simply doing creates real energy, real momentum, real organizations, and real missions of help that are changing lives. And in some cases, saving them.

Marie Tillman, Pat Tillman’s widow, is also a doer. When faced with the unspeakable loss of her husband, she also bravely left comfort behind and journeyed to a place unknown to her. Marie could have mourned the death of her husband privately and simply moved on with her life, leaving the Army part of her life behind. What she did instead placed her in the category of one percenters. She placed one foot in front of the other, slowly doing, creating one small project at a time, refusing to let herself become isolated. All this doing has resulted in what is now a solid and reputable mission that bears the name of her late husband. The Pat Tillman Foundation, started by Marie, Pat’s family and friends, is the result of a lot of people taking action and it has brought about tangible opportunities like Pat’s Run to give back to and support Tillman Military Scholars on their next journey after service. These two very real things serve a great need in our nation; they are not abstract, they are measurable energy, and they change our reality. Pat’s Run is the result of doing. After the evil in Boston, this weekend warrior and veteran could not wait to get to doing in Tempe – racing and supporting my fellow scholars who are carrying forward such an incredible legacy of leadership and service to country.

Shelly Burgoyne, a former Army officer who served two tours in Iraq, just completed her Master’s in Public Policy as a Tillman Military Scholar at the University of Maryland. She resides in San Antonio where she is currently awaiting assignment for a U.S. Embassy abroad.

Tostitos Homecoming Party Bowl Video

TMS Rob Anders

Newtown is a marvelous place, a charming little New England town nestled among the rolling hills of western Connecticut. The center of the town boasts a 100-foot-tall flagpole in the middle of Main Street. At its top, the American flag waves high above the churches there, the General Store, the Old Inn, Proud Mary’s Tavern and the Edmond Town Hall, which shows $2 movies on Saturday nights. Just down the road is the town library, the Newtown Bee printing press and everyone’s favorite little ice cream parlor. Among the farms and tucked-away neighborhoods, the sprawling trees are old, stately and magnificent in autumn. The annual Labor Day Parade brings out the entire town in red, white and blue and everyone marches from the Veteran’s War Memorial down past the giant flagpole to the Ram Pasture, ending at the Middle School.

The parade is the only thing that ends at a school in Newtown; everything else begins there. The center of the community has forever been Newtown’s children. The community pours its heart and soul into its young people. The schools are excellent and the town is replete with athletic fields, playgrounds and opportunities to explore, learn and grow. The town thrives only because its children thrive, and they do so because it’s a place of strong values, virtue, faith and tolerance.

Newtown represents all that is good about America, stretching back to the Revolutionary War when Rochambeau’s troops camped there as they marched with General George Washington en route to Yorktown in 1781. Since then, it has become the home of Olympic athletes, Eagle Scouts, state champions (NHS Girls Soccer & U11 Little League in 2012), artists, businessmen, musicians, volunteers and public servants all who give back. It’s a place where you’re bound to bump into a friend at the grocery store, or where the barber will cheer your name when you walk in, even if it’s been 10 years since your last haircut there. It’s even the birthplace of Scrabble, where the first game of words with friends was played in 1948.

Newtown is America the way Norman Rockwell painted it. Not everyone is from Newtown, but there’s a little part of Newtown in every part of this country. The quilted community that Newtown has stitched so tight and with such great devotion has been desecrated in a way that tears at the very fabric of America.

Please consider making a donation (https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/), however small, to those most profoundly affected.

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.

Many servicemembers who served in Iraq are eager to engage in building a positive partnership with the people of that country.

Last week at Phillips Academy,  the U.S. Cultural Affairs Office in Baghdad collaborated with Phillips to celebrate “Non Sibi Day” on October 6. “Non Sibi” – meaning “Not for Oneself” – is the school’s motto. Non Sibi Day is a day of global service at Phillips Academy, one of the top college-preparatory schools in the United States located in Andover, Massachusetts. Phillips Academy alumni, current students and parents representing the school’s diverse community gathered to support Baghdadi school kids.

The Harvard Club of Andover and Parents of Students at Phillips Academy (PSPA) teamed up to collect and donate school backpacks and other supplies to school kids in Baghdad. It was great to see parents and students writing letters to Iraqi kids they have never met!

Volunteers at Phillips Academy collected backpacks to donate to school children in Baghdad, Iraq.

A couple of veterans from the Iraq War were present, and the feedback from those who participated in the project was very positive. The past decade has formed a strong shared history between the U.S. and Iraq. Community and cross-cultural projects that encourage Iraqis and Americans to interact and work with each other can positively impact the future of two nation’s relationship.

Note: The Pat Tillman Foundation is a non-political, non-partisan organization. Recently, through our partnership with Got Your 6, several Tillman Military Scholars had the opportunity to attend both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Edward Woodward at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL

Through Got Your 6, I was fortunate to attend portions of the RNC along with fellow Tillman Military Scholars Dave Warden, Josiah Hill and Grey Leonard, along with our wives/girlfriends. We attended the Got Your 6 event Wednesday night, a concert that featured Sara Evans and a brief speech by Meghan McCain, daughter of Arizona Senator John McCain. Josiah and I were able to meet Senator McCain and get a photo. Sara Evans was outstanding and the event was a tribute to the success Got Your 6 is having in creating opportunities for veterans and civilians to join together to reinvigorate our community.

Arizona Senator John McCain and TMS Ed Woodward in Tampa.

We had a great experience in Tampa, having not had an opportunity to get together since the Pat Tillman Leadership Summit. It was refreshing to see everyone in the tremendous setting the Got Your 6 event provided. The entire experience reinforces the overwhelming feeling of gratitude I feel to be a part of the Tillman Community. These events provide tangible results to all the hard work that is being done to help and support our nation’s veterans as they come back and reintegrate into society.

TMS Josiah Hill with Brianna Venable at the RNC Got Your 6 event in Tampa.

John Larch at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC

My wife and I attended various Democratic National Convention activities in North Carolina.

On Monday, we visited Carolina Fest downtown, listened to live music and enjoyed the many vendors. My wife had the good fortune to meet Georgia Congressman John Lewis, a well-known civil rights leader.

Mary Ann Larch with Congressman Lewis at the DNC in Charlotte.

On Wednesday, we attended the Veterans & Military Families Council Caucus. Speakers included Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient, and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden. By coincidence, Chris Marvin, Managing Director of Got Your 6, happened to sit next to me during this caucus meeting. Talk about a small world! While I was talking with Chris, my wife slipped away and managed to cross paths with Dr. Biden!

TMS John Larch and his wife Mary Ann at the DNC Got Your 6 event in Charlotte.

That evening, we attended the Flo Rida concert, watching from VIP seating a great show and upbeat crowd. The entire experience was eye opening and enlightening.

Last week I participated in the 3rd annual Pat Tillman Leadership Summit, a three-day program designed to introduce new Tillman Military Scholars to the Tillman Community, in College Park, Maryland. The first day of the Summit allowed new Scholars to meet one another, as well as Network Scholars and the staff of the Pat Tillman Foundation. Marie Tillman welcomed us that first evening and shared with us her story of how Pat’s death while serving in Afghanistan inspired her to create the Pat Tillman Foundation. Day one was especially important to the new Scholars because we were able to get to know one another and learn each other’s stories of service, sacrifice and triumph. It was truly humbling to be among such a remarkable group of people, and each Scholar that I spoke with thought the same thing I did: how did they pick me from this group of amazing people?

The second day opened with a panel on the Community Blueprint Network, and then the group split between a Veteran Entrepreneurship Panel and a Career Marketing panel. I attended the Career Marketing Panel and learned how to tell the story of who I am and what the military taught me and how that can be translated onto a resume. In a chance set of events, one of the panelists at the Veteran Entrepreneurship Panel was a gentleman that I served with in the Army. It was great to see him again and do some networking with him and the other panelists. For the remainder of the second day, the Scholars volunteered in a Day of Service in the Washington, D.C. area. My group spent several hours with the residents of Vinson Hall discussing health care and technology. Vinson Hall is a retirement community supported by the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation in McLean, VA. The residents we spoke to were great people, and I enjoyed hearing their life stories and learning their views on issues that we all face in today’s world.

The third day of the Summit was spent on Capitol Hill visiting Congressional leaders. I was lucky enough to lead the Arizona delegation on Capitol Hill in a meeting with Senator John McCain. Meeting Senator McCain was a lifelong dream come true. As an Arizona native, I have followed his political career since I was about 16. I have always admired war heroes and politicians, and Senator McCain is both. He served in the U.S. Navy as an aviator during the Vietnam War and was captured as a Prisoner of War in 1967. He remained a POW in Hanoi until 1973. He moved to Arizona in 1981 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona’s First Congressional District in 1982, and then to the U.S. Senate in 1986. He is currently the senior United States Senator from Arizona and the ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

Tillman Military Scholars from Arizona State University and University of Arizona with Senator John McCain.

The Arizona delegation met with Senator McCain for nearly an hour. Just being in his presence was awe inspiring; I was definitely star struck. Senator McCain invited us into his office, congratulated us on being chosen as Tillman Military Scholars and asked us to sit in the chairs and couches in his office. He spoke to us for 20 minutes about current policy and issues and then asked us to introduce ourselves. When I introduced myself and stated that I was studying law, I discovered that the Senator has a sense of humor. After jokingly stating that the world doesn’t need more lawyers, he asked what the difference is between a lawyer and a catfish. The answer, of course, is that one is a scum-sucking bottom feeder and the other is a fish. After introductions and brief discussions about our areas of study, Senator McCain invited us to ask questions of him. The immediate questions were about his stance on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and SB1070. Senator McCain spoke very candidly about both issues; he did not offer canned responses. I worked in the Arizona Legislature and I am very familiar with SB1070 and all of the issues surrounding it, but Senator McCain offered an explanation that included ideas I had never heard before. He also spoke about Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Sheriff Arpaio is usually a taboo subject in Arizona politics, but again, Senator McCain spoke openly about his thoughts on the Sheriff. All together, we spoke with the Senator for about an hour. That hour reinforced my confidence in him as a U.S. Senator, and as my hero.

I was able to attend the Pat Tillman Leadership Summit just a couple days ago and I was intrigued by such an event. As a new Tillman Military Scholar, I thought the Summit was a great way to connect, network and learn about other Scholars. I was absolutely humbled to be surrounded by such educated, successful and inspiring people (and perhaps a little out of place).

The University of Minnesota partnered with the Pat Tillman Foundation this year and we are honored to be ambassadors. Our university representative was able to gather a lot of good ideas and resources to help enhance our veterans programs at the university.

We are looking forward to getting more involved by participating in community events and helping make our university more veteran friendly by providing the necessary tools and resources for their academic success.

The University of Minnesota Scholars were all happy to meet Marie Tillman and hear her story – what a remarkably strong and extremely inspirational woman!

Recently, I joined a team of combat-wounded veterans whose sole mission is to improve the quality of our own lives through high-adventure outdoor challenges and to further medical science in relation to our injuries. Over the past several weeks, my team consisting of four wounded warriors (two of which are amputees), three guides from the Alaskan Mountaineering School, a physical therapist specializing in prosthetic research from the University of South Florida and two board members of the Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge organization began the initial training to conquer the “7 Summit Challenge.”

The “7 Summit Challenge” is an ambitious undertaking whose participants seek to climb the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents:

1) Denali/McKinley (North America) – 20,320 feet

2) Aconcagua (South America) – 22,841 feet

3) Kilimanjaro (Africa) – 19,340 feet

4) Vinson Massif (Antarctica) – 16,050 feet

5) Carstensz Pyramid (Australia/Oceania) – 16,024 feet

6) Elbrus (Europe) – 18,510 feet

7) Everest (Asia) – 29,029 feet

TMS Dave Warden trains on Mt. Denali, AK with a team of wounded warriors preparing to take on the 7 Summit Challenge. The group plans to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.

In addition to a rigorous physical training plan, my team and I spent several of the past weeks training on Alaska’s glaciers/mountains. We focused our training on safe glacier travel, ice/rock climbing, crevasse rescue techniques, utilizing fixed lines for ascending and descending technical sections, belaying/repelling and rope/knot techniques. It also gave us, as wounded warriors, the ability to see how we can utilize and adapt certain techniques to overcome the complications associated with our injuries.

The next step for us will be attempting to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in January of 2013 and then Denali/Mt. McKinley in the summer of 2013. I will be sure to keep everyone posted as to how our training is progressing.