Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Nine Mississippi State students are among the inaugural group receiving national university scholarships awarded in memory of NFL player and late Army Ranger Pat Tillman.
Tillman was a starting safety with the Arizona Cardinals from 1998-2001. In mid-2002, he placed his professional football career on hold to become a U.S. Army Ranger. Two years later, the San Jose, Calif., native was killed on active duty in Eastern Afghanistan.
"Mississippi State University is recognized nationally as a strong military- and veteran-friendly university," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We are extremely grateful to be among the first schools selected to receive these special Tillman Military Scholarships in memory of a young soldier who fought valiantly for his country.
"The MSU students who are linked to these inaugural awards will carry the imprint of Pat Tillman with them as they pursue their academic goals," he added.
The scholarships support the education of both veterans and their families. Amounts for the MSU group vary between $3,500 and $12,000.
The Arizona-based Pat Tillman Foundation was created by family and friends following his death. Marie Tillman, his widow, is chair of the foundation's board of directors.
"The goal of the Tillman Military Scholars program is to assist service members and their families in pursuing their educational goals, and to help them continue their service to this nation while honoring the legacy of Pat Tillman," Marie Tillman said.
She said the awards are meant to be "a ready source of assistance for those schools like Mississippi State who have strong veterans' programs for our returning service men and women and their dependents who wish to start, finish or further their education."
Candidates for the awards may be affiliated with any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. They also must be enrolled full time, maintain a 3.0 grade-point average and demonstrate financial need, among other criteria.
Tillman Military Scholars also must complete at least 10 hours of community service each semester.
MSU currently enrolls more than 1,200 student veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors. The university was one of only four schools in the nation who worked with the Pat Tillman Foundation to identify scholars.
The G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans will administer the campus scholarship program. Though in existence only a few years, the center already has gained a national reputation for work with military and veteran personnel and organizations.
The first MSU Tillman Military Scholars include (by hometown):
BRANDON--Markus L. Edwards, a sophomore instrumental music education major and the son of Melvin and Vicki Edwards. He is a member of the Famous Maroon Band and Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity.
CALHOUN CITY--Melody P. Corbitt, a graduate student in food science and technology and the daughter of Danny and Andrea Corbitt. A 2005 MSU graduate in agricultural information science and education, she earlier received an Institute of Food Technologist Award and was a co-author for a research paper published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology.
FLOWOOD--Samantha B. Hill, a freshman secondary English education major and the daughter of Terry and Geraldine Hill. She was an honor graduate of Northwest Rankin High School.
MERIDIAN--Amy J. McNish, a senior secondary education major. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Kappa Delta Phi honor societies and a selection for Who's Who among American College Students. Her parents are Debra Flick and the late Ted Fouts.
RIDGELAND--Jordan M. Lohman, a freshman landscape architecture major, the son of Jeffrey and Melodye Lohman and an honors graduate of Ridgeland High School; and Keeley E. Tatum, a senior English education major, the daughter of Nancy Tatum and the late James Tatum, an MSU Dean's List Scholar, and an earlier selection for the Freedom Forum's Al Neuharth "Free Spirit" Scholarship.
STARKVILLE--SaraRose C. Knox, a fourth-year student in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The daughter of Gary and Bonnie Knox of Brookfield, Mass., she is a member of the student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
TUPELO--Catherine C. Turner, a freshman secondary education major and the daughter of James and Cathy Turner. She also is an ACT Scholar.
YAZOO CITY--Frank Wills, a graduate student in public policy and administration and the son of John F. and Linda Wills. A 2008 MSU interdisciplinary studies graduate, he is a past president of the MSU Student Veterans Association.
For more information on the Tillman Military Scholarships, contact G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans director Andrew Rendon at 662-325-6720 or arendon@saffairs.msstate.edu.
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More on the Pat Tillman Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization, may be found on the Web at www.pattillmanfoundation.org.
LOCAL EDITORS: A group shot of the Tillman Scholars may be found with the online version of this story on the MSU Web site, www.msstate.edu. If unable to locate the image, contact Cathy Oswalt at 662-325-3442 or oswaltc@ur.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.