University of Missouri student veterans named Pat Tillman Scholars

Mizzou law student and UMSL engineering major are the only students from Missouri to receive the prestigious academic scholarship in 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Two University of Missouri students are among the 60 student veterans selected to the 2017 class of Pat Tillman Scholars. Paul Wade, Army veteran, member of the Missouri National Guard and University of Missouri law student; and Heath McClung, Army veteran and University of Missouri-St. Louis engineering student, each received the award.

Every year, the Pat Tillman Foundation receives thousands of applications from military veterans and their spouses. Only 60 of the best-poised leaders, who show strength in character, academic excellence and potential, are chosen as Tillman Scholars. Wade and McClung are the only scholars from Missouri universities in the 2017 class.

“The Pat Tillman Scholars program is one of the most prestigious awards for our nation’s student veterans,” said Mun Choi, president of the UM System. “This year, 60 scholars were named from an applicant pool of thousands. As Tillman Scholars, Paul and Heath are representing our nation’s very best, right here in Missouri.”

Wade graduated from Glenwood High School in Chatham, Illinois, and received his undergraduate degree from Truman State University. In the Army, Wade served in three combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now a full-time law student at MU, Wade spends his free time volunteering with Team RWB, a community organization aimed at enriching the lives of America’s veterans. Previously, Wade served as vice-president of Mizzou Law Student Veterans Association. He also has participated in the Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic, where law students can practice their legal skills helping veterans with legal issues connected to their service.

“As a veteran, I don’t believe myself to be any better than my civilian classmates, but I recognize that my experiences are drastically different from many other people attending law school,” Wade said. “The Pat Tillman Foundation recognizes the need to have veteran leadership at all levels to bring the unique experiences and perspectives veterans share into the public discourse. Being in the small group of Tillman Scholars allows me to be part of a group of veterans working to make the country and world a better place.”

McClung graduated from Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri, and briefly attended Truman State University before joining the Army, serving three years active duty. During his 2011 deployment to Afghanistan, he suffered injuries that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his left leg. Now enrolled in the UMSL/Washington University Joint Engineering Program, with minors in math and biology, McClung hopes to work in the prosthetics field to help other people. He plans to obtain a graduate degree in prosthetics and orthotics.

“I think it’s fascinating technology and really rewarding,” said McClung, who is president of the UMSL Student Veteran Association and volunteers with The Mission Continues, the World Pediatric Project, and the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association. "These are things that help people in their daily lives. Ideally I want to work either in a practice and treat patients or work for a company helping to design and make the next generation of prosthetics. The Pat Tillman Foundation is helping me achieve this goal.”

Founded in 2004, the Pat Tillman Foundation invests in military veterans and their spouses through academic scholarships. The scholarship is named for Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who put his playing career on hold to serve his country after 9/11 and was killed by friendly fire. Since the foundation formed, more than 520 Tillman Scholars have been named from more than 100 universities.

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ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM: The University of Missouri was founded in Columbia in 1839. The University had a single campus until 1870, when the School of Mines and Metallurgy was established in Rolla. In the same year, the University assumed land-grant responsibilities of providing higher education opportunities for all citizens. In 1963, the University expanded by founding a new campus in St. Louis and acquiring the University of Kansas City, creating the present four-campus system. Today, the University of Missouri is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions, with more than 75,000 students, a health care enterprise and a statewide extension program.