IU student Nick Marsh was recently awarded the Tillman Military Scholar award. Tillman, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in medical physics, served two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a combat medic with the National Guard.
Marsh, who grew up in Washington, Indiana, began his academic career at IU in the fall of 2009.
“I actually only applied to University of Evansville,” Marsh said. “And then in June I decided I wanted to go to a bigger university ... so I applied to IU in June, right before school started.”
It was in 2010 he enlisted in the National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan. “I didn’t ever expect it to be a big part of my life,” Marsh said.
Marsh’s first deployment began without very much notice. He was working at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in 2011, after finishing his initial training. He was working with a company of combat engineers, when he told the commander if he needed another medic, Marsh was willing.
Marsh is one of five IU students to have received the honor of being named a Tillman Scholar since the program was founded in 2008. For 2016, a total of 60 students across the nation received the scholarship, which awards $1.8 million to aid in continuing their secondary education.
The Pat Tillman Foundation was formed in honor of the NFL player of the same name. Tillman served as the safety for the Arizona Cardinals until the terror attacks of Sept. 11. Tillman then proceeded to put his football career on hold in order to enlist in the armed forces, where he was killed in action in Afghanistan in April of 2004.
The scholarship was designed to aid former veterans entering into a secondary or post-secondary education program. The scholarship aids in study-related expenses, such as tuition, fees and books. The scholarship also includes a living stipend.
Marsh serves at the office of veteran affairs at IU whenever he is not working on pursuing his medical degree. There, he aids in a program known as Peer Advisors for Veteran Education, a program that provides a point of contact in the form of a mentor for veteran students. He also serves as the vice president of the Student Veterans of America chapter at IU.
Marsh said one issue that student veterans particularly face is a feeling of isolation.
“Student-veterans often times don’t come to IU with a support network,” Marsh said. “A lot of service members serve one or two contracts and then come right to school.”
Marsh said while a lot of student veterans are resourceful, some issues could be alleviated if these veterans had a community to rely on.
Marsh said he hopes to become an oncologist after receiving his master’s degree and hopes to serve at a veterans affairs hospital in order to aid and give back to veterans.
“I kind of wanted to get away from direct patient care,” Marsh said. “And I’m very interested in the physical aspects of treating patients.”
