From adversity to advocacy, Ohio State Tillman Scholar works for justice for veterans

From adversity to advocacy, Ohio State Tillman Scholar works for justice for veterans

Eric Sowers 1 of 60 U.S. service members, veterans and military spouses chosen

Eric Sowers, The Ohio State University's 11th Tillman Scholar, was inspired by the scholarship's namesake and his call to service following 9/11.

Pat Tillman, the NFL-star-turned-Army Ranger, walked away from a lucrative professional football career to join the elite unit following the 2001 terror attack. Sowers was a Columbus high school student at the time, felt the same call to service and enlisted at the earliest opportunity - he wanted to join the Army at 16.

"They told me to come back in another year. I came back when I was 17, signed up in the delayed entry program and once I completed high school in 2004, I left for the Army," he said.

"When I went to the recruiter's office, he was like, 'Well, what do you want to do?' I just wanted to serve with Pat Tillman. That's all I knew. I wanted to be an airborne ranger. Unfortunately, he was killed in action, so that never came to fruition."

His delayed enlistment wouldn't be the first time Sowers would be told no - but he pressed forward regardless. In the Army, Sowers was a member of the famed 82nd Airborne Division and spent four years in the service, including 15 months in Afghanistan.

When he left the Army and returned to Columbus, he admits he got into trouble right away.

"Everything that I do now for veterans really took off when I got out in 2008. … I spent the better part of the next decade getting a legal education on the wrong side of the law," Sowers said.

Run-ins with the legal system included assault and drunk driving convictions. He said he became so familiar with the process that he committed to memory the steps it would take to bail himself out of jail.

The birth of his children inspired Sowers to take stock of his life.

"I was like, 'Yeah, I need to fix this, to be the best version I could be for them.'"

He returned to school: Columbus State Community College and then Kent State's online program. Sowers completed a paralegal degree to become a lawyer to help fellow veterans in the criminal justice system. He began working in Veteran Treatment Courts in Franklin and Delaware counties.

Through his work, Sowers met other veterans who had established careers in social work, and it shifted his focus. Ohio State was his dream school, and he applied for the Master of Social Work program - but he kept getting turned down.

After his application was turned down a third time, Sowers worked to get an in-person meeting with college admissions.

"I just wanted to know, what do I have to do to make Ohio State like me enough to let me be a student?" he said.

Once again in his life, Sowers' persistence paid off. He explained how his experience as a veteran and his desire to understand and improve the systems supporting veterans would benefit the program and his career as a student. It worked and he was admitted into the program.

Now a PhD candidate in the College of Social Work, Sowers continues to live up to that commitment. He has helped develop and support federal legislation for veterans including the Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act and STRONG Veterans Act. He serves the university's military-connected community as a Military Community Advocate and was president of the Student Veterans Association.

He is now one of the 60 U.S. service members, veterans and military spouses chosen as Tillman Scholars this year. The program, part of the Pat Tillman Foundation, supports active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses through education, lifelong leadership development, and a community of peers and mentors to help them impact their community and the world.

John Provenzano, a lecturer in the College of Social Work, has known Sowers since 2018 when they met through the Save a Warrior program. They are currently working in the college on courses that would benefit both student veterans and non-veteran students to better understand the military and veteran issues they may face in the field. He believes Sowers honors Tillman's legacy.

"Eric is one of the most dedicated individuals I have met when it comes to veterans' issues. He has dedicated himself to serving veterans in the social work field and has put in the hours to raise awareness to issues that veterans, both student and non-student alike, face," he said. "He has persevered through his time in the service and is using his experiences to help others. I think these are amazing qualities that a Tillman Scholar should embody."

The Tillman Scholarship will help Sowers manage life as a student, father and community advocate. He hopes to finish his PhD program by 2026 and continue to improve veterans' transition into civilian life, help them remain in good legal standing and advance their opportunities.

"I don't hide behind anything that I've done because to me, it's fuel," he said. "It helps motivate me. It helps show others that your current situation doesn't have to define you or your future."

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