3 U of M Students Named Tillman Military Scholars

Three University of Minnesota students were recently given scholarships for their support of military services.

Capt. Amber Manke, Capt. Nicholas Swaggert, and Army spouse Laura Tillman were recently selected as Tillman Military Scholars for the 2012-13 school year. The U of M is one of 14 campuses serving as a Tillman Military Scholar University Partner, and the program aims to support education opportunities for service members and military families.

Manke was deployed in Kuwait in support of Operation New Dawn and plans to remain in the Guard and become a National Guard Training Officer.

Swaggert joined the Marine Corps in 2005 and was deployed twice for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He’s now at the U of M’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Tillman has a bachelor’s in nursing from the U of M and is pursing an advanced degree to become a pediatric nurse practitioner.

According to a statement from the university, the Pat Tillman Foundation has given more than $3.2 million in scholarship funds to 230 scholars over the past four years.