A new service-oriented class offered by the W.P. Carey School of Business is helping Pat Tillman's legacy live on.
The class will teach leadership techniques and develop skills that will help students create and implement community service projects, said Laura Burgis, the executive director of external affairs at the W.P. Carey School and professor for the class.
The class was created in memory of Tillman, an ASU graduate and former Cardinals football player who was killed by friendly fire in April 2004 while stationed in Afghanistan.
Alex Garwood, the executive director of The Pat Tillman Foundation and Tillman's brother-in-law, said the foundation developed the program to carry forward Tillman's legacy.
"It was important for us to come up with something like Pat," Garwood said. "Pat wouldn't tell you what to do. He would help you figure it out. The beauty of this program is it has people actually getting up together and working together."
Burgis said she predicts the class will have major impact on the students.
Through introspective work they will learn more about their strengths, passions and concerns, she said.
"[Students will] develop ways to make a meaningful difference in the world by taking action, leading to affect change," Burgis said.
The three-credit course runs for two semesters, she said.
"The first semester is an exploration of leadership models, readings of world leaders and guest lectures from business and community leaders," she said. "The second semester is experimental -- students implement their service projects."
The service projects are individually designed during the second semester, but they will all have common elements.
"The plans will address a defined social or economic problem in the community," Burgis said.
The second semester concludes with a venture capital competition, where each student will present their project and compete for funding. The best projects are awarded seed money by the Tillman Foundation to continue their plans, Burgis said.
Although Tillman grew up in San Jose, Calif., the Tillman Foundation wanted to offer the class at ASU before it expanded the program.
"ASU was a very natural fit," Garwood said. "Pat graduated from the Carey School, and it makes sense because he was a part of the Sun Devil family."
The Tillman Foundation is hoping to expand the program next year to a university or high school near San Jose, Garwood said.
The Leadership Through Action program is a joint effort by the W.P. Carey School and the Barrett Honors College, Burgis said.
"We hope that students will be inspired by Pat's leadership by becoming Tillman Scholars," she said.
In spring 2005, the business school, BHC and the Tillman Foundation chose 14 business students as Tillman Scholars. Those students are taking the course now.
Each of the students demonstrated strong leadership characteristics, Burgis said.
Reach the reporter at kristi.eaton@asu.edu.
