Tillman Scholars in the News

We’re proud of these Tillman Scholars for continuing to make an impact on their communities. Read on to see how they continue to lead through action.

Christina Ebersohl, 2022 Tillman Scholar

Christina Ebersohl will be performing her Doctoral Viola Recital at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, you can stream her performance here.

As a classical violist, her performances offer to transport audiences far away from modern struggles and discomfort, and create a bridge for all to shelter under. Additionally, as a blind musician, Christina utilizes her concerts and public image as a platform for change, donating concert proceeds to the National Federation of the Blind and other charities, as well as raising her voice in advocacy for blind musicians and accessibility around the world.

As a Doctoral candidate, Christina’s  resources expand, providing opportunities to develop relationships with organizations internationally, and to continue advocating for accessibility, equitable opportunities, and visibility in the field. Through her performances, public speaking, and lectures, and through her publications as Editor of the Journal of the American Viola Society, Christina is actively working to diversify the classical music industry and promote the underrepresented voices of disabled musicians. Additionally, utilizing her platform and leadership, she has already begun laying the foundation to launch an innovative scholarship competition for musicians who have overcome physical hardship. Though Christina no longer uses her Arabic language skills to translate daily, her music continues to translate hope, empowerment, and peace to audiences near and far.

Nicole Leon, 2022 Tillman Scholar

Nicole Leon was named a 2023 Business Behind the Scenes Fellow by Bradley Bernstein Sands LLP, a program designed for first-generation professionals currently in law school.

While attending Columbia University as the daughter of immigrants, Nicole pursued her passion of theater, and was involved in a total of 12 productions on campus. However, her work within theater was not limited to the stage. As a Latina who understood how theatrical spaces had historically excluded people of color, she explored theater from an academic lens as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow researching plays written by Latina playwrights who had re-imagined the theatrical canon and created a space for themselves within it.

Along with her upbringing, Nicole’s theatrical background pointed to law as being the ideal avenue to enact change via a deep understanding of social apparatuses, the humans within them, and the cultures they create. Theater fueled her passions and skills for empathy, storytelling, and discourse, all of which are paralleled in law. With her legal education, Nicole hopes to impact the immigration and criminal justice system, and advocate for communities of color. Nicole is a proud military spouse to a U.S. Navy Nuclear Electronics Technician, and a dog mom to her corgi, Obi Wan Corgnobi.

Andrew Napier, 2012 Tillman Scholar; Dave Warden, 2011 Tillman Scholar

IntuBlade, founded by Tillman Scholars Andrew Napier and Dave Warden, won the Warrior Rising pitch competition in Iowa and secured $20,000 in funding.

Dr. Napier is a board certified Emergency Medicine physician and innovator. He is a graduate of USF College of Medicine and currently practices medicine in California. His path into the medical field began in the Army where he was a Combat Medic. During his time in service, he was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Medical Badge while deployed to Afghanistan. He invented the device IntuBlade in order to bring new medical devices into the mainstream market.

Dave is a Combat Veteran of the US Marine Corps and a Purple Heart recipient. He studied Economics and Finance at the University of South Florida and is a recipient of the Pat Tillman Foundation scholarship. Since military separation, he has founded multiple startups in the Government contracting industry along with a successful financial management and advising business. With his proven track record, he was selected for Tampa Bay Business Journal’s: Top 30 Under 30 Business Professionals.