YuLin Zhen, Photography Editor

Over the summer, five Yalies were named 2024 Tillman Scholars, recognized for their outstanding potential to make a significant impact and their dedication to serving others selflessly.

The Tillman Foundation gets its namesake from Pat Tillman, former NFL linebacker turned U.S. Army soldier who left a lucrative career to serve his country. Tillman died protecting his unit in Iraq as they were ambushed. 

The foundation supports active service members, veterans and military spouses who embody the characteristics Tillman valued most: service, scholarship, humble leadership and impact. 

These students decided to return to education as a stepping stone to this future service. Tillman Scholars receive assistance for academic expenses, opportunities to develop various skills and a network of fellow scholars across the country. 

Of the approximately 1,600 people who applied to be Tillman Scholars, 60 individuals were selected nationwide. 

“[Tillman Scholars] believe their best years of service to our country are still ahead of them, and they are committed to strengthening communities at home and around the world.” according to the Pat Tillman Foundation’s website. 

Hillary Browning ’20 LAW ’25

On a bet from her father, Browning joined the United States Navy and served for six years as a journalist. Her eight-page daily newspaper allowed seamen aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to gain access to the outside world. 

In an interview with the News, Browning describes her military experience as a “launchpad to college.” After attending community college, she connected with Service to School, a nonprofit organization helping veterans apply to college. At Yale College, she was a member of Grace Hopper College, and she is now in her final year of Yale Law School. 

Even though she started and abandoned the Pat Tillman application two or three times, Browning said her experience at Yale and being named a Tillman Scholar have helped her relinquish her self-doubt.  

In the future, Browning plans to practice tax law and estate planning. She hopes to help other veterans’ estate plans — to use the benefits they receive to their full potential, to build generational wealth among veterans and their families. 

Genevieve Chase ’26

Chase joined the United States Army in 2003 and has since been deployed twice, earning a Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, Joint Service Commendation Medal and a Bronze Star Medal. 

Despite experiencing PTSD and depression upon returning from deployment, Chase advocated for fellow veterans struggling with the return to civilian life. She founded American Women Veterans and advocated for women and LGBTQ+ veterans.

While continuing to serve in the Army Reserve, Chase is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Yale College. While at Yale, Chase volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children. She plans to attend law school in the future. 

Zac Cobb LAW ’27

Ater pursuing investment banking in New York for three years, Cobb felt called to service, he told the News. He then spent five years in the United States Air Force as a combat medic engaging in personnel recovery. 

Cobb said that Tillman continues to inspire him as an example for everyone to put service before self and that he is honored to continue Tillman’s legacy of service and sacrifice for the greater good. 

“I feel an incredible blessing and opportunity to use my Yale degree to continue public service in another sphere that is important to our country and the world outside of the military — that is the justice system,” Cobb told the News. 

Now pursuing a J.D. from Yale Law School, Cobb intends to continue working in public service after graduation. He hopes his work will help people understand the significance of Tillman’s sacrifice, as he said, “The world could use heroes like Pat now more than ever.”

Nicole Echols SOM ’25

Sergeant Major Echols has been serving in the United States Army for almost 23 years. Paralleling Tillman’s own experience, Echols was deeply impacted by 9/11 and felt a calling to serve, referring to the decision to enlist as a “leap of faith.” 

Echols works in Special Operations, acting as a liaison between foreign militaries and their governments. While still serving out of Washington, D.C., Echols commutes to New Haven every other week to pursue an MBA at the Yale School of Management. 

Echols chose Yale because of its reputation and resources, as well as its exceptional community. When speaking of first visiting Yale and meeting her future fellow Yalies, Echols recalls, “they were so warm and welcoming,” and the community was “just a very supportive environment. That’s exactly what I wanted to be a part of.”

To Echols, the award reaffirms the reasons she, Tillman and many other servicemen and women join the military. 

“We do it for the service, and we stay in it for the service and the people,” she said.

Nearing the end of her career, Echols seeks out ways to serve outside of the military. She has founded the Uncommon Heroes Foundation, a nonprofit helping other women in Special Operations fund family planning — bridging a gap between the support available to male and female soldiers. 

Galen Jones SOM ’26

Jones joined the United States Army at 19, shortly after high school. As a Special Forces Medic, Jones was stationed in Germany and worked throughout Eastern Europe. 

In January 2022, just shortly after leaving the military, Jones traveled with a small nonprofit to Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. It was there that he decided to become a full-time humanitarian worker. 

Jones is in his second year at Yale’s School of Management, pursuing a dual MPH and MBA. He plans to continue Tillman’s legacy by entering the humanitarian space, specifically conflict and healthcare. 

“That’s the kind of person I want to be,” Jones told the News. 

Yale has 13 professional schools.