Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University has been selected to award national Tillman Military Scholarships for a second consecutive year.
Four incoming MSU students have joined five previously enrolled students as recipients of the 2010-11 scholarships named in memory of Pat Tillman, the late U.S. Army Ranger and former NFL football player.
"Mississippi State has been recognized among the top 20 best colleges and universities nationally for military personnel and veterans to pursue their educational goals," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We are exceptionally pleased the Pat Tillman Foundation continues to honor his memory by awarding generous scholarships for students enrolled on our veteran-friendly campus," he added.
In 2009, Mississippi State was among the inaugural group of institutions with scholars selected to receive Tillman Military Scholarships, which support the education of both veterans and their families at selected college campuses around the nation. Scholarship amounts for the MSU group vary between $1,500 and $10,000.
Tillman was a starting safety with the Arizona Cardinals 1998-2001. In mid-2002, he placed his professional football career on hold to become an Army Ranger. Two years later, the San Jose, Calif., native was killed on active duty in Eastern Afghanistan. Following his death in 2004, the Arizona-based Pat Tillman Foundation was created by family and friends.
New students selected as 2010 Tillman Military Scholars include (by hometown):
MANTEE, Miss.--Brandon Allen Stuckey is a freshman wildlife and fisheries major. Before entering MSU, he served as a page for the Mississippi State Senate and graduated high school with honors. He was a volunteer fireman and first responder. He is the son of Peggy and Richard Stuckey.
JACKSON, Tenn.--James Michael Bryant is a first-year graduate student pursuing an MBA. He served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and previously earned a bachelor of business administration from MSU. He is vice president of the Student Veterans Association and vice president of Gamma Iota Sigma. He is the son of Jim and Tammy Bryant.
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Charles Edward Pease is a senior slated for a December graduation with a degree in physical education with a teaching/coaching concentration. He served one year in Iraq. He is the son of Shirley Pease and Charles Marshall of Rock Island, Ill. He is a member of the Dean's List, President's List, and a member of the Kappa Delta Pi educational honor society.
ZWIBRUECKEN, GERMANY--Janice L. Cunningham is a freshman biological engineering major with a concentration in biomedical engineering. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the German National Honor Society. She was valedictorian of her 2010 high school graduating class, and is the daughter of Alexander and Monika Cunningham.
Second-year recipients include:
BRANDON--Markus L. Edwards is a junior music education major and the son of Melvin and Vicki Edwards.
FLOWOOD--Samantha B. Hill is a sophomore communication major and the daughter of Terry and Geraldine Hill.
RIDGELAND--Jordan M. Lohman is a sophomore landscape architecture major and the son of Jeffrey and Melodye Lohman; and Keeley E. Tatum is a senior secondary education major and the daughter of Nancy Tatum and the late James Tatum.
TUPELO--Catherine Turner is a sophomore elementary education major and the daughter of James and Cathy Turner.
The recipients are among nearly 1,800 student veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors currently enrolled at Mississippi State.
Tillman Military Scholar candidates may be affiliated with any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Recipients must be fulltime students who maintain a 3.0 grade-point average and demonstrate financial need, among other criteria. Scholars are required to perform service of their choice during their program tenure and report that service to the Tillman community.
"The Tillman Military Scholars program invests in veterans and their families through education, community and advocacy," said Hunter I. Riley, Tillman Foundation program director. "The scholarships are a ready source of assistance for schools like Mississippi State which have strong veterans' programs for our returning service men and women and their dependents who wish to start, finish or further their education."
The G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans administers the campus scholarship program. The center has gained a national reputation for work with military and veteran personnel and organizations.
For more information on the scholarships, contact G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans director Andrew Rendon at 662-325-6720 or arendon@saffairs.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: More on the Pat Tillman Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, may be found on the web at www.pattillmanfoundation.org.