Pasadena Resident and Afghanistan Veteran Among 60 New Tillman Scholars

Pasadena-born James White, a U.S. Army veteran, has been named one of 60 new Tillman Scholars by the Pat Tillman Foundation. The foundation, which announced the 2024 class on June 27, supports military veterans and spouses in their pursuit of higher education.

White, a West Point graduate with a B.S. in international relations and international law, was commissioned as an Army infantry officer. He deployed once to Afghanistan in this role, then five more times as a Special Operations Civil Affairs officer.

“Reflecting on two decades of honoring Pat’s legacy, I’m continually inspired by the dedication and service embodied in Tillman Scholars,” said Marie Tillman Shenton, Board Chair and Co-Founder of Pat Tillman Foundation.

The foundation, established in 2004 by Tillman’s family and friends, has raised $34 million over the past twenty years to support over 900 scholars at more than 150 universities. This year’s cohort was chosen from nearly 1,600 applicants.

White’s journey to medicine was influenced by his military experiences and a personal tragedy. His assignments as a military officer took him to serve in operations against the Islamic State in the Middle East, Boko Haram in Africa, and the Taliban in Afghanistan, witnessing the work of military healthcare providers.

This experience, coupled with the loss of his first child, solidified White’s commitment to medicine. He completed medical school prerequisites, became a paramedic, and earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, emphasizing device design for the reduction of patient harm.

At Duke University, White plans to leverage his military and engineering background to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors in clinical and prehospital settings. His wife, a fourth-year medical student at University of North Carolina, is also a Tillman Scholar.

Katherine Steele, CEO of the Pat Tillman Foundation and 2014 Tillman Scholar, said the foundation’s goal is to unite and empower military veterans, active duty personnel, and spouses “to become the next generation of public and private sector leaders” for the next 20 years.

The Pat Tillman Foundation continues to honor its namesake, who left his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to serve in the military. It seeks to support scholars who embody Tillman’s spirit of service and leadership.

For more information, visit https://pattillmanfoundation.org/.