By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
Nathaniel Hays has spent his adult life serving and protecting the United States — first through 23 years in the U.S. Army, including three deployments to Iraq, and now as a University of South Florida doctoral student studying cellular and molecular biology with hopes of advancing cancer research.
“When I was a little kid, all I wanted, was to be in the Army,” said Hays, a 54-year-old retired first sergeant. “Now, I want to fight cancer, wage war on the disease and help people in need.”
This month, the Pat Tillman Foundation honored Hays’ dedication by naming him to the 2025 class of Tillman Scholars, an elite recognition that includes a $40,000 scholarship. The program, named for the late Arizona Cardinals safety who left the NFL to serve in the military and was killed while on active duty, supports military service members, veterans and spouses pursuing leadership roles in and beyond their fields.
“I’m pretty floored,” Hays said. “This scholarship is one of the more prestigious within the military community because of who Pat Tillman was. I’m honored.”
Out of roughly 1,700 applicants, only 42 were selected for the 2025 class. Since 2004, the Pat Tillman Foundation has invested more than $40 million in academic scholarships and leadership development.
Nathaniel Hays (middle) during a 2012 training exercise at Fort Benning [Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Hays]
“We are honored to welcome this new class of Tillman Scholars and support them as they pursue bold goals and create meaningful change,” said Katherine Steele, CEO of the Pat Tillman Foundation and a 2014 Tillman Scholar. “Their passion, vision and commitment to service embody what it means to be a Tillman Scholar.”
Hays enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1991 at age 19 while living in Hawthorne, California. After three combat deployments, he was assigned as a Ranger instructor in 2008 at Fort Benning, GA. In 2011, he was assigned as his unit’s air operations non-commissioned officer, overseeing parachute, fast rope and special patrol insertion and extraction techniques.
Upon retiring from the military in 2014, Hays received a push from his sister, a U.S. Air Force major.
“She told me to get off my butt and start pursuing my education,” Hays said. “She’s not the type who can sit still and wasn’t going to let me be idle either.”
A long family history of cancer inspired Hays to change his mission from combat to cancer research
“When I was 9, my grandfather died of cancer — that was the first time I’d heard of it,” he said. “Since then, I’ve lost five more family members to various cancers and have four who are survivors.”
Determined to make a difference, Hays earned an associate of science degree in public health from Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California, before enrolling at USF in 2022.
“USF is the perfect fit,” he said. “It’s a premier medical research university.”
Nathaniel Hays at a research conference at Niagra Falls this past June [Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Hays]
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in cellular and molecular biology in 2024 and is now working toward a doctorate at USF. Under the mentorship of Associate Professor Libin Ye, Hays is researching how vital proteins in the cell change shape as they transmit signals and control cell activity, knowledge that could lead to better, more targeted cancer treatments.
The Tillman Scholarship will help fund this next phase of his mission.
“Each new class of Tillman Scholars reminds us why we started this foundation: to honor Pat’s example by empowering remarkable individuals who choose to lead and serve,” said Marie Tillman Shenton, board chair and co-founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation. “We’re inspired by the 2025 class and look forward to seeing how they create lasting change in their communities and beyond.”