Student Veterans of America and RTX Announce 2024 RTX SPY-6 Scholarship Recipients

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 15 , 2024) - For the 2024-2025 academic year, Student Veterans of America® (SVA) and RTX are proud to continue their collaboration in supporting military service members and veterans. The RTX SPY-6 Scholarship, named after the SPY-6 Family of Radars, awards two U.S Navy or Marine Corps veterans with $10,000 each. This year's winners of the RTX SPY-6 scholarship are Jesse Putney and Umar Ilyasov.

Ilyasov is a Navy veteran and current doctoral candidate at Kansas City University, pursuing a Physician Studies degree. An immigrant from Uzbekistan, a country in Central Asia, Ilyasov did not come from a wealthy family. When he emigrated to America, he learned that he could join the military, which would help pay for college. Years later, while Ilyasov was deployed to Djibouti, Africa, he met several physicians with whom he had great experiences. He credits his motivation to become a physician to these experiences he had while deployed. "When I was over there, I met a couple of physicians with whom I've had even more wonderful, interesting experiences," said Ilyasov. "I feel like that pushed me even harder to pursue the ladder as high as I can go, and in my eyes that was to become a doctor as well."

Being in a doctorate-level medical program is not easy, nor is it cheap; it's extremely expensive. Typical students usually complete the program with six-figure debts due to student loans which adds immense pressure on the student. "Medical school is, as you know, extremely expensive, and at my school particularly, the average student loan balance by the time of graduation is about $250,000," said Ilyasov.

This scholarship will help Ilyasov finance his doctoral program, and help him achieve his goal of becoming a physician. "It's extremely relieving knowing that organizations like SVA and RTX have my back," said Ilyasov. "I had this overwhelming sense of joy that, you know, somebody is trying to help me with this really expensive school."

Navy veteran and doctoral candidate at Lincoln Memorial University, Jesse Putney, also plans to become a physician. Putney has long been a part of the SVA community stemming from his time in the SVA chapter at Liberty University. Finding this community post-service has been a tremendous help to him. "When I started collaborating with SVA, I found a common language and a clique," said Putney. "That really kept me motivated and helped me transition from the military into academia."

As is well known, doctoral-level medical programs can cause a financial strain on the student veterans and affect their mental health. This financial strain causes student veterans to seek out grants, loans, and scholarship "because the GI Bill just won't cut it."

Putney not only has to think of himself when identifying ways to pay for his doctoral program, he also must consider the needs of his family. This scholarship will alleviate some of the financial strain he faces as a doctoral candidate with a family to care for. "The finances will help enormously with my kids' childcare, helping them with getting into the correct schools that they need with the correct clothing, and food, water, and shelter," said Putney. "It's my kids and my kids' kids that are going to benefit from this."

Education financing is more than paying for tuition, books, and supplies alone; it involves much more. There are fees for tests, test prep, and things such as insurance that the student veteran must cover. "There's a lot of nuanced things in college that people just don't talk about that cost money," said Putney.

The RTX SPY-6 Scholarship not only provides crucial financial support but also represents a profound recognition of the dedication and sacrifice of our veteran students. Both Ilyasov and Putney showcase the resilience and ambition of those who serve and continue to contribute to society through their pursuit of higher education. As they navigate the challenges of their doctoral programs, the support from SVA and RTX highlights the commitment to empowering veterans. The impact of this scholarship extends far beyond alleviating financial burdens, it is a step towards realizing their dreams and improving the future for themselves and their families.

About Student Veterans of America
With a focused mission on empowering student veterans, Student Veterans of America® (SVA) is committed to providing an educational experience that goes beyond the classroom. Through a dedicated network of nearly 1,600 on-campus chapters in all 50 states and 4 countries representing more than 750,000 student veterans, SVA aims to inspire yesterday's warriors by connecting student veterans with a community of like-minded chapter leaders. Every day these passionate leaders work to provide the necessary resources, network support, and advocacy to ensure student veterans can effectively connect, expand their skills, and ultimately achieve their greatest potential. For more information, visit us at www.studentveterans.org.

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