2024 Tillman Scholar

Max Sterling

Army
Harvard Law School
J.D.

“I served in the military to protect the rights guaranteed to all people in our country. In the future, I aim to continue fighting to uphold these civil and constitutional rights as a lawyer.”

Max Sterling is originally from Baltimore, MD. He graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in International Relations in 2018 and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army. After serving as a Basic Training Instructor, Max was selected for the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he served in the Ranger Regiment Military Intelligence Battalion. He began an M.A. in Global Security from Johns Hopkins University while serving on active duty and earned this degree in 2023. 

Throughout his time in service, Max came to better understand the injustices present throughout American history and persistent in modern life. These realizations, in combination with his commitment to service, inspired his shift in path. Now, he intends to defend people’s civil and constitutional rights as a lawyer.