2022 Tillman Scholar Impact Round Up: Education

In conjunction with our 60 Days of Scholars feature, we are taking a look at the different impact areas of our remarkable 2022 class of Tillman Scholars. Our scholar community has found their passions leading them to diverse fields of studies all with the same goal in mind, unite others and advance ideas that change the world. From business and STEM to education and public service, each week we will be highlighting our brand new scholars and how they plan to make their impact.

This week, we are highlighting our 2022 class of Tillman Scholars who are working to make their impact in education. Check out how they are planning on making their impact here!

Kord Basnight, College of William & Mary

“I KNOW WHAT PTSD FEELS LIKE AND HOW TO RECOVER RESILIENT MEANING AND SECURE RELATIONSHIPS. I WANT TO WALK WITH CLIENTS FACING SIMILAR ISSUES AS THEY JOURNEY TOWARDS HEALTH.”

Before his retirement in 2021, Kord was associate general counsel at the Defense Health Agency (DHA).  Kord joined the DHA in 2012 to support the program executive office for the defense healthcare management systems and DHA’s Health Information Technology Directorate.  He was a member of the leadership team that deployed the Department of Defense’s new electronic health record (EHR), MHS GENESIS.  Kord also served as chief legal advisor for the Federal Electronic Health Record Program Office that managed the joint deployment of EHRs for the DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Kord’s Army career began in 1989 where he served for almost eight years as a prosecutor and government contracts attorney.  He left active duty in 1996 to begin his career as a federal government attorney while joining the Army Reserves.  Kord was recalled to active duty in 2009 to serve as the deputy chief of reserve management and again in 2014 to serve in Israel for the United States security coordinator as a justice sector advisor to the Palestinian Armed Security Force. Kord met Linda at The College of William and Mary back in the day and then attended the University of Richmond Law School and the Army War College.

Katharine Brodie, Columbia University

“WHILE MY PRIMARY DUTY IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD IS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY, I REMAIN DEDICATED TO FOSTERING A SAFE AND RESPECTFUL WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL.”

Earlier in her active-duty career, Kat served as Port State Control Branch chief, where she conducted vessel inspections at Marine Safety Unit Portland. While stationed in Oregon, she also served as chair of her unit’s leadership and diversity council and earned her victim advocate credential from the National Advocate Credentialing Program. Kat also worked as a marine inspector at the Seventeenth Coast Guard District and Sector Juneau in Southeast Alaska. Her first assignment was onboard the Coast Guard Cutter RELIANCE out of Kittery, Maine, where she was a deck watch officer and boarding officer.

Her prior education includes an M.S. in environmental policy and management from American Military University. Currently, she is pursuing her M.A. in social-organizational psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in association with the U.S. Military Academy’s Eisenhower Leader Development Program. After graduation, she will serve in the role of a company officer at the Coast Guard Academy, where she will strive to make a positive impact for hundreds of cadets and to be an advocate and military leader when conversations involve societal flashpoints such as racial, gender, and LGBTQIA+ inequities.

David Galindo Castellon, Augusta University

“OUR NATION’S FUTURE IS AS STRONG AS THE EDUCATION OF THOSE TO COME. AS A MARINE, I WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT MY NATION THROUGH THE WEAPON OF EDUCATION. SEMPER FI.”

David arrived in Norcross, GA without any knowledge of English nor American culture. However, he did know he was in the most powerful and opportunity-full country on the planet. He would make it worth every sacrifice. A country that owed him nothing, gave him everything. He would show his gratitude. In an instant, he found himself in the midst of the Afghan plains and canals. David soon became aware that learning Pashto was essential to the safety and success of their mission. He made it his duty to teach his fellow Marine brothers necessary phrases and cultural information to win the minds and hearts of the Afghan people.

Upon the completion of his military service, David made the decision of becoming an educator to serve his country. More specifically, a World Language teacher. After all, it was language that helped protect the life of his brothers and himself abroad. Today, David pursues his Master’s degree in Instruction with an emphasis in Spanish education. He strives to serve his country by fortifying its future through the education of its children, in and out of the classroom.

Sarah LeMire, Texas A&M University

“I STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT LIBRARIES ARE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE VETERAN AND MILITARY COMMUNITIES.”

As a librarian, she advocates for library awareness of and support for members of the veteran and military communities. Her research focuses on informing and advocating for library support for veterans. Sarah co-authored a book on library support for veterans, Serving Those Who Served: Librarian’s Guide to Working with Veteran and Military Communities. She also founded the American Library Association’s Veterans Caucus, a community for librarians who are veterans or who work with veterans.

Sarah holds an M.A. in English from the University of Utah and an M.S. in Information from the University of Michigan. She is currently a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University studying educational administration. She plans to research the information-seeking behavior of military service members and veterans and how their military experiences may affect their information behavior when they return to college.

Paige Seitz, Texas A&M University

“I BELIEVE EQUITY STARTS WITH FOOD SECURITY. I WANT TO SERVE AT THE FOREFRONT OF FEEDING THE WORLD BY PROVIDING BETTER RESOURCES FOR EDUCATING FARMERS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.”

Paige Seitz was raised on a ranch in Texas and agriculture has always been an influence in her life. She was involved in FFA and attended Texas A&M University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy and Master of Science in Horticulture. Paige was a member of the soil judging team and served as an intern for Texas A&M AgriLife Research consulting with an organization in Haiti to plan agriculture education programs. The organization sought to bolster their medical mission by improving the nutrition of the surrounding community. Her life was forever changed when she was face to face with the hunger crisis she had learned about in her coursework.

Paige is currently a doctoral student at Texas A&M University studying Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications with an emphasis in Extension Education. Her career goal is to work with the cooperative extension service to develop and improve programs that support agricultural producers in adopting sustainable production practices, and to educate the public on agricultural issues. She truly believes there is a solution to the complex issue of feeding the world and that society can reach a common ground to preserve resources while solving the global hunger crisis.