Two graduate student veterans in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs were recently awarded a scholarship through the SoldierStrong Foundation, which aims to provide services to student veterans.

Mitch Forbes and Chris Tonsmeire were awarded the scholarship that supplements school fees not paid for by the GI Bill.

The SoldierStrong scholarship is available to student veterans at the Maxwell School at SU, Georgetown University, Old Dominion University in Virginia and The Veterans Education Foundation. The program has awarded scholarships for the past four years, and each year at least one student from Maxwell has received the funds.

Forbes and Tonsmeire were nominated to receive the scholarship by Robert Murrett, a professor of practice at Syracuse University and a member of the SoldierStrong advisory board.

“Both of them were distinguished members of the United States Army, they both had significant experience, they were deployed,” Murrett said. “… Most importantly they’re both dedicated to additional service which will take advantage of their experience and status as veterans.”

The pair of students said they felt honored and humbled by the award and are grateful to SoldierStrong and Maxwell for the additional financial aid.

Forbes will finish his executive master’s degree in public administration at the end of this semester. He joined the United States Army in 2012 and was an infantryman in Afghanistan.

In 2014, a small Taliban element attacked his platoon with machine guns and he was shot through both legs, Forbes said. His injuries required many surgeries and physical therapy, and he was medically retired from the army. He received a Purple Heart following those injuries.

Courtesy of Mitch Forbes

As a full-time graduate student and parent to a 1-year-old, Forbes said the money SoldierStrong provided was helpful in bridging tuition debt.

“The purpose of SoldierStrong is to help fill that gap of owing money that the GI Bill isn’t covering,” he said.

Forbes added he has plans to potentially get another master’s degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and then find work in government affairs or communications.

Tonsmeire, who is about to finish his first semester at SU, is pursuing a master’s degree in international relations and public administration after receiving his undergraduate degree in international relations from Florida State University.

He was serving in the Army Reserve during 9/11, after which he decided to volunteer for active duty.

In 2008, Tonsmeire’s vehicle caught fire during an ambush in Afghanistan and he was flown back to the United States. About 10 percent of his body required skin grafts. He also received a Purple Heart following those injuries.

It took about a year for him to recover, and he was then separated from the armed forces. He started college in August 2009.

Courtesy of Chris Tonsmeire

“Throwing myself back into my studies helped me reintegrate back into civilian life,”  Tonsmeire said. “It gave me something to focus on.”

Tonsmeire said he wants to focus on post-conflict reconstruction, disaster relief and humanitarian aid after graduation.

Both Forbes and Tonsmeire said SU provides a number of resources for veterans to get funding and assistance throughout their academic careers.

The SoldierStrong organization was founded by Maxwell alumnus Christopher Meeks.

“I think we should be grateful to SoldierStrong for its support and for providing to two very deserving students we have this year to allow them to continue their education in ways that are so heavily focused on continued public service,” Murrett said.

Published on November 26, 2017 at 10:52 pm

Contact Catherine: ccleffer@syr.edu | @ccleffert